HF 2371 (LSB 6097YH (5) 83)

HOUSE FILE 2371

BY  THEDE, H. MILLER, STECKMAN, FORD, PALMER, HANSON, LYKAM, ABDUL-SAMAD, WINCKLER, BERRY, ZIRKELBACH, FICKEN, RUNNING-MARQUARDT, SMITH, and BURT

A BILL FOR

An Act providing financial support from the community attraction and tourism fund for regional ethnic festivals and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 15F.204, subsection 5, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code Supplement 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   At the beginning of each fiscal year, the board shall allocate one hundred thousand dollars for purposes of marketing those projects that are receiving moneys from the fund and five hundred thousand dollars for purposes of supporting regional ethnic festivals pursuant to section 15F.207. After the marketing allocation and the regional ethnic festivals allocation, the board shall allocate all remaining moneys in the fund in the following manner:
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  15F.207  Regional ethnic festivals —— applications.
   1.  a.  The department shall accept applications for financial assistance from the organizers of regional ethnic festivals. The applications shall be analyzed and evaluated in substantially the same manner as provided in section 15F.206, subsection 1. The department, in coordination with the board, shall adopt rules governing the application and awards process.
   b.  The financial assistance shall be provided from the moneys allocated for such purposes pursuant to section 15F.204, subsection 5. The amount of financial assistance awarded to an applicant under this section shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars.
   2.  To be eligible for financial assistance under this section, an applicant shall be a nonprofit entity exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, shall demonstrate that the festival would generate a significant amount of cultural and tourism opportunities within a community, and shall demonstrate the participation of at least four of the following:
   a.  A city.
   b.  A county.
   c.  Two or more schools from a local school district.
   d.  A community college.
   e.  A private college or a board of regents institution.
   f.  An entity with a focus on cultural attraction or promotion.
   g.  A historical society.
   h.  One or more businesses.
EXPLANATION
   This bill relates to the allocation of moneys in the community attraction and tourism fund for regional ethnic festivals.
   The bill directs the vision Iowa board to annually allocate $500,000 of the moneys in the fund, before making the other statutory allocations, for purposes of providing financial support to regional ethnic festivals.
   The bill provides for an application evaluation process that is substantially the same as the existing process for applying to the board for river enhancement community attraction and tourism moneys. In order to receive financial assistance, an applicant must be a nonprofit entity, must show that the festival will create significant cultural and tourism opportunities in a community, and must have the participation of at least four other local community entities including city or county governments, schools, private colleges, universities, historical societies, cultural entities, or businesses.