NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used for other purposes.

 

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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

SPONSOR:

Sanchez, B.

 

DATE TYPED:

03/05/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Hospitality Fee Act

 

SB

792/aSCORC

 

 

ANALYST:

Padilla

 

 

REVENUE

 

Estimated Revenue

Subsequent

Years Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

 

Indeterminate—See Narrative

 

Recurring

Local Government

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

 

Relates to SB1, HB 876

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

LFC Files

 

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration

City of Albuquerque

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of SCORC Amendment

 

The Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee amendment establishes that the revenue Albuquerque generates as a result of the “hospitality fee” can be used to contract with organizations, whether non-profit or for-profit, for advertising and public relations services. The original bill limited the contracts to non-profit organizations.  Fifty percent of the revenue can be used for such purposes. 

 

     Synopsis of Original Bill

 

Senate Bill 792 authorizes certain municipalities to impose a “hospitality fee” on the users of tourist accommodations.  Fifty percent of the proceeds from the fee shall be used to finance improvements to a municipal convention center; the remaining fifty percent are to be used for marketing the municipality and its facilities.  The municipality must be in a Class A county with a 2000 census population of over 250,000.  The hospitality fee cannot exceed more than one percent of the gross room revenue per day.  “Tourist accommodation” is defined broadly and includes temporary stays at hotels, motels, apartments, trailer courts, etc. 

 

The bill requires the municipality to report quarterly to DFA on collection and expenditure of the hospitality fee revenue.  The bill establishes the requirements of the ordinance needed by the municipality to administer a hospitality fee.  The bill provides penalties that the municipality can impose on persons failing to pay the fee or otherwise violating the hospitality fee ordinance.

 

The bill allows the municipality to issue revenue bonds to pay for the improvements to the convention center.

 

The bill is to be repealed July 1, 2013.

 

     Significant Issues

 

The municipality that meets the definition given in the bill is Albuquerque.  According to the City of Albuquerque, the Central New Mexico Innkeepers association has proposed and supports this bill.  The revenue is required to make needed capital improvements to the Albuquerque Convention Center, including such upgrades as high-speed telecommunications connections.  In order to attract large conventions and other meetings, such improvements are believed necessary.

 

The revenue would also be used to market Albuquerque for tourism and convention activities.  Albuquerque would be able to use the revenue to contract with non-profit organizations for such services.

 

The City of Albuquerque notes that the hospitality fee created by this bill is an industry-supported “self-tax.”

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Revenue estimates from a one-percent hospitality fee in Albuquerque were unavailable.

 

RELATIONSHIP

 

SB 1 and HB 876 also allow certain municipalities to impose fees for the financing of new convention center facilities or the improvement of existing facilities.  SB 1 applies to a new convention center in Las Cruces.  HB 876 applies to the construction of a civic and convention center in Santa Fe. 

 

LP/prr