House File 2056
HOUSE FILE
BY RASMUSSEN
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the statewide welcome center program.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
3 TLSB 5108HH 80
4 tm/pj/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 15.271, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code
1 2 2003, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 e. A program shall be established to plan, acquire,
1 4 develop, promote, operate, and maintain a variety of welcome
1 5 centers at strategic locations to meet the needs of travelers
1 6 in the state. The program is intended to be accomplished by
1 7 1992.
1 8 Sec. 2. Section 15.272, Code 2003, is amended to read as
1 9 follows:
1 10 15.272 STATEWIDE WELCOME CENTER PROGRAM == OBJECTIVES AND
1 11 AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES == PILOT PROJECTS.
1 12 1. The state agencies, as indicated in this section, shall
1 13 undertake certain specific functions to implement the goals of
1 14 a statewide program, including the pilot projects, for welcome
1 15 centers.
1 16 1. 2. The department and the state department of
1 17 transportation shall jointly establish a statewide long=range
1 18 plan for developing and operating welcome centers throughout
1 19 the state. The plan shall be submitted to the general
1 20 assembly by January 15, 1988. By January 1, 2005, the
1 21 existing long=range plan shall be reviewed and amended by the
1 22 departments. The departments shall review and amend the plan
1 23 as needed thereafter. The plan and any amended plan shall
1 24 address, but not be limited to, the following:
1 25 a. Integrating state, regional, and local tourism and
1 26 recreation marketing and promotion plans.
1 27 b. Recommending a wide range of centers, including state=
1 28 developed and state=operated to privately managed facilities.
1 29 c. Establishing design, service, and maintenance quality
1 30 standards which all welcome centers will maintain. Included
1 31 in the standards shall be a provision requiring that space or
1 32 facilities be available for purposes of displaying and
1 33 offering for sale Iowa=made products, crafts, and arts. The
1 34 space or facilities may be operated by the department or
1 35 leased to and operated by other persons.
2 1 d. Making projections of increased tourist spending,
2 2 indirect economic benefits, and direct revenue production
2 3 which are estimated to occur as a result of implementing a
2 4 statewide welcome center program.
2 5 e. Projecting estimated acquisition, construction,
2 6 exhibit, staffing, and maintenance costs.
2 7 f. Integrating electronic data telecommunications systems.
2 8 g. Identifying sites for maintaining existing centers as
2 9 well as locations for new centers. In the amended long=range
2 10 plan due by January 1, 2005, the departments shall increase
2 11 the number of welcome centers to be developed and operated in
2 12 the state and shall identify locations for the new welcome
2 13 centers.
2 14 3. The departments department and the state department of
2 15 transportation may enter into contracts for the preparation of
2 16 the long=range plan and subsequent amended plans. The
2 17 departments shall involve the department of natural resources
2 18 and the department of cultural affairs in the preparation of
2 19 the plan and subsequent amended plans. The recommendations
2 20 and comments of organizations representing hospitality and
2 21 tourism services, including but not limited to, the regional
2 22 tourism councils, convention and visitors bureaus, and the
2 23 Iowa travel council, and others with interests in this program
2 24 will be considered for incorporation in the plan and
2 25 subsequent amended plans. Prior to submission of the plan to
2 26 the general assembly, the The plan and subsequent amended
2 27 plans shall be submitted to the regional tourism councils, the
2 28 convention and visitors bureaus, and the Iowa travel council
2 29 for their comments and criticisms which shall be submitted by
2 30 the department along with the plan to the general assembly.
2 31 2. 4. The responsibilities of the department of economic
2 32 development include the following:
2 33 a. Seeing to the acquisition of property and the
2 34 construction of all new welcome centers including the pilot
2 35 projects selected by the department pursuant to paragraph "e".
3 1 In carrying out this responsibility the department may, but is
3 2 not limited to, the following:
3 3 (1) Arrange for the state department of transportation to
3 4 acquire title to land and buildings for use as and undertake
3 5 construction of state=owned welcome centers. In acquiring
3 6 property and constructing the welcome centers, including any
3 7 pilot projects, the state department of transportation may use
3 8 any funds available to it, including but not limited to, the
3 9 RISE fund, matching funds from local units of government or
3 10 organizations, the primary road fund, federal grants, and
3 11 moneys specifically appropriated for these purposes.
3 12 (2) Contract with other state agencies, local units of
3 13 government, or private groups, organizations, or entities for
3 14 the use of land, buildings, or facilities as state welcome
3 15 centers or in connection with state welcome centers, whether
3 16 or not the property is actually owned by the state. If the
3 17 local match required for pilot projects or which may be
3 18 required for other welcome centers is met by providing land,
3 19 buildings, or facilities, the entity providing the local match
3 20 shall enter into an agreement with the department of economic
3 21 development to either transfer title of the property to the
3 22 state or to dedicate the use of the property under the
3 23 conditions and period of time set by the department.
3 24 b. Providing for the operations, management, and
3 25 maintenance of the state=owned and state=operated welcome
3 26 centers, including the collection and distribution of tourism
3 27 literature, telecommunication services, and other travel=
3 28 related services, and the display and offering for sale of
3 29 Iowa=made products, crafts, and arts.
3 30 c. Providing, at the discretion of the department,
3 31 financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to
3 32 privately operated information centers to the extent the
3 33 centers are consistent with the long=range plan and subsequent
3 34 amended plans.
3 35 d. Developing a common theme or graphic logo which will be
4 1 identified with all welcome centers which meet the standards
4 2 of operations established for those centers.
4 3 e. Selecting the sites for the pilot projects. In
4 4 selecting the pilot project sites, the following apply:
4 5 (1) Up to three sites may be located in proximity to the
4 6 interstates and up to three sites may be located in proximity
4 7 to the other primary roads. The department shall select at
4 8 least one site which is in proximity to a primary road which
4 9 is not an interstate.
4 10 (2) Proposals for the sites must be submitted prior to
4 11 September 1, 1987 and shall contain a commitment of at least a
4 12 one=dollar=per=dollar match of state financial assistance.
4 13 The local match may be in terms of land, buildings, or other
4 14 noncash items which are acceptable by the department.
4 15 (3) Priority shall be given to proposals that have the
4 16 best local match, that are to be located where there is a very
4 17 high number of travelers passing, and for which the
4 18 department, after consultation with the departments of
4 19 transportation, natural resources, and cultural affairs,
4 20 considers the chances of success to be nearly perfect.
4 21 (4) The department shall select the sites by September 15,
4 22 1987.
4 23 EXPLANATION
4 24 This bill relates to the statewide welcome center program,
4 25 which was originally enacted in 1987.
4 26 The bill removes language relating to the original pilot
4 27 project sites, the requirement that the original statewide
4 28 long=range plan for welcome centers be submitted to the
4 29 general assembly, and a 1992 deadline for implementation of
4 30 the program.
4 31 The bill requires the department of economic development
4 32 and the state department of transportation to review and amend
4 33 the existing long=range plan by January 1, 2005. The bill
4 34 requires the departments to review and amend the plan as
4 35 needed thereafter. The amended long=range plan, due by
5 1 January 1, 2005, is to include an increase in the number of
5 2 welcome centers to be developed and operated in the state and
5 3 to identify the locations for new welcome centers.
5 4 The bill makes conforming amendments relating to subsequent
5 5 amended long=range plans.
5 6 LSB 5108HH 80
5 7 tm/pj/5