SB 275

Tourism promotion and development organization grants

This bill requires the Department of Tourism to award grants to nonprofit

organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion and development of tourism

in Wisconsin to assist those organizations to remain operational in the wake of the

COVID-19 global pandemic. The bill further requires Tourism to award grants to

such nonprofit organizations and to certain governmental organizations also having

that same primary purpose for purposes of tourism marketing in connection with

Wisconsin's recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

A nonprofit or governmental organization receiving a grant under the bill, as

specified above, may not receive grants totalling more than $1,000,000 or 50 percent

of the organization's average annual tourism marketing budget over the previous

three years, not including 2020. The bill requires the governor to allocate

$50,000,000 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of

2021 for the grants.

Amusement industry grants

This bill requires the Department of Tourism to award grants to organizations

that own or operate amusement or theme parks in Wisconsin for purposes of

short-term tourism marketing in connection with the organization's recovery from

the COVID-19 global pandemic. The bill limits each grant to 50 percent of the

organization's average annual tourism marketing budget over the previous three

years, not including 2020. The bill requires the governor to allocate $25,000,000 of

the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the

grants.