S.B. No. 150




AN ACT
relating to authorizing measures to support efforts to attract major motor sports racing events to this state. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subdivision (8), Section 1, Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows: (8) "Site selection organization" means the United States Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, the Pan American Sports Organization, the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), [or] the International World Games Association, the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the Champ Car organization, or the American Le Mans Series organization. SECTION 2. Section 2, Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows: Sec. 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to provide assurances required by a site selection organization sponsoring one or more major sporting or athletic events [games] and to provide financing for the costs of: (1) applying or bidding for selection as the site of major sporting or athletic events [the games] in this state; (2) making the preparations necessary and desirable for the conduct of major sporting or athletic events [the games] in this state, including the construction or renovation of facilities to the extent authorized by this Act; and (3) conducting major sporting or athletic events [the games] in this state. SECTION 3. Section 3, Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as amended by Section 2, Chapter 579, and Section 5.02, Chapter 814, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, is reenacted and amended to read as follows: Sec. 3. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The conduct in this state of one or more major sporting or athletic events [games] will: (1) provide invaluable public visibility throughout the nation or world for this state and the communities where the major sporting or athletic events [games] are held; (2) encourage and provide major economic benefits to the communities where the major sporting or athletic events [games] are held and to the entire state; and (3) provide opportunities for the creation of jobs by local and Texas businesses that pay a living wage. SECTION 4. Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 5B to read as follows: Sec. 5B. GUARANTEE OF STATE AND MUNICIPAL OR COUNTY OBLIGATIONS; MOTOR SPORTS RACING TRUST FUND. (a) In this section: (1) "Endorsing county" means a county with a population of one million or more that contains a site selected by a site selection organization for one or more motor sports racing events. (2) "Endorsing municipality" means a municipality with a population of one million or more that contains a site selected by a site selection organization for one or more motor sports racing events. (3) "Event support contract" means a joinder undertaking, joinder agreement, or similar contract executed by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county and a site selection organization. (4) "Motor sports racing event" means a specific automobile racing event for a particular year referred to as the United States Grand Prix, or a specific automobile racing event that is part of the Champ Car World Series or the American Le Mans Series. The term includes any events and activities held, sponsored, or endorsed by the site selection organization in conjunction with the racing event. (b) If a site selection organization selects a site for a motor sports racing event in this state pursuant to an application by a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county, not later than three months before the date of the motor sports racing event, the comptroller shall determine for the 30-day period that ends at the end of the day after the date on which the racing event will be held, in accordance with procedures developed by the comptroller: (1) the incremental increase in the receipts to the state from taxes imposed under Chapters 151, 152, 156, and 183, Tax Code, and under Title 5, Alcoholic Beverage Code, within the market areas designated under Subsection (c) of this section, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event; (2) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by the state on behalf of each endorsing municipality in the market area from the sales and use tax imposed by each endorsing municipality under Section 321.101(a), Tax Code, and the mixed beverage tax revenue to be received by each endorsing municipality under Section 183.051(b), Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event; (3) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by the state on behalf of each endorsing county in the market area from the sales and use tax imposed by each endorsing county under Section 323.101(a), Tax Code, and the mixed beverage tax revenue to be received by each endorsing county under Section 183.051(b), Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event; (4) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by each endorsing municipality in the market area from the hotel occupancy tax imposed under Chapter 351, Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event; and (5) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by each endorsing county in the market area from the hotel occupancy tax imposed under Chapter 352, Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event. (c) For the purposes of Subsection (b)(1) of this section, the comptroller shall designate as a market area for the motor sports racing event each area in which the comptroller determines there is a reasonable likelihood of measurable economic impact directly attributable to the preparation for and presentation of the racing event, including areas likely to provide venues, accommodations, and services in connection with the racing event based on a proposal or other information provided by an endorsing municipality, endorsing county, or local organizing committee to the comptroller. The comptroller shall determine the geographic boundaries of each market area. An endorsing municipality or endorsing county that has been selected as the site for the racing event must be included in a market area for the racing event. (d) Each endorsing municipality or endorsing county shall remit to the comptroller and the comptroller shall deposit into a trust fund created by the comptroller and designated as the Motor Sports Racing trust fund for the particular event the amount of the municipality's or county's hotel occupancy tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(4) or (5) of this section, less any amount of the revenue that the municipality or county determines is necessary to meet the obligations of the municipality or county. The comptroller shall retain the amount of sales and use tax revenue and mixed beverage tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of this section from the amounts otherwise required to be sent to the municipality under Sections 321.502 and 183.051(b), Tax Code, or to the county under Sections 323.502 and 183.051(b), Tax Code, and deposit into the trust fund the tax revenues, less any amount of the revenue that the municipality or county determines is necessary to meet the obligations of the municipality or county. The comptroller shall begin retaining and depositing the local tax revenues with the first distribution of that tax revenue that occurs after the first day of the 30-day period described by Subsection (b) of this section and shall discontinue retaining the local tax revenues under this subsection when the amount of the applicable tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of this section has been retained. The Motor Sports Racing trust fund is established outside the state treasury and is held in trust by the comptroller for administration of this section. Money in the trust fund may be disbursed by the comptroller without appropriation only as provided by this section. (e) In addition to the tax revenue deposited in the Motor Sports Racing trust fund under Subsection (d) of this section, an endorsing municipality or endorsing county may guarantee its obligations under a motor sports racing event support contract and this section by pledging surcharges from user fees, including parking or ticket fees, charged in connection with the racing event. (f) The comptroller shall deposit a portion of the state tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(1) of this section in an amount equal to 6.25 times the amount of the local sales and use tax revenue and mixed beverage tax revenue retained and the hotel occupancy tax revenue remitted by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under Subsection (d) of this section. (g) To meet its obligations under a motor sports racing event support contract or event support contract to improve, renovate, or acquire facilities or to acquire equipment, an endorsing municipality by ordinance or an endorsing county by order may authorize the issuance of notes. An endorsing municipality or endorsing county may provide that the notes be paid from and secured by amounts on deposit or amounts to be deposited into the Motor Sports Racing trust fund or surcharges from user fees, including parking or ticket fees, charged in connection with the racing event. Any note issued must mature not later than seven years from its date of issuance. (h) The funds in the Motor Sports Racing trust fund may be used to pay the principal of and interest on notes issued by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under Subsection (g) of this section and to fulfill obligations of the state or an endorsing municipality or endorsing county to a site selection organization under a motor sports racing event support contract or event support contract, which obligations may include the payment of costs relating to the preparations necessary or desirable for the conduct of the racing event and the payment of costs of conducting the racing event, including temporary improvements or temporary renovations to existing facilities or other facilities specific to the event. (i) A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county shall provide information required by the comptroller to enable the comptroller to fulfill the comptroller's duties under this section, including annual audited statements of any financial records required by a site selection organization and data obtained by the local organizing committee, an endorsing municipality, or an endorsing county relating to attendance at the motor sports racing event and to the economic impact of the racing event. A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county must provide an annual audited financial statement required by the comptroller, if any, not later than the end of the fourth month after the date the period covered by the financial statement ends. (j) The comptroller shall provide an estimate not later than three months before the date of a motor sports racing event of the total amount of tax revenue that would be deposited in the Motor Sports Racing trust fund under this section in connection with that racing event, if the racing event were to be held in this state at a site selected pursuant to an application by a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county. The comptroller shall provide the estimate on request to a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county. A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county may submit the comptroller's estimate to a site selection organization. (k) The comptroller may make a disbursement from the Motor Sports Racing trust fund on the prior approval of each contributing endorsing municipality or endorsing county for a purpose for which an endorsing municipality or endorsing county or the state is obligated under a motor sports racing event support contract or event support contract. A disbursement may not be made from the trust fund that the comptroller determines would be used for the purpose of soliciting the relocation of a professional sports franchise located in this state. (l) If a disbursement is made from the Motor Sports Racing trust fund under Subsection (k) of this section, the obligation shall be satisfied proportionately from the state and local revenue in the trust fund. (m) On payment of all state, municipal, or county obligations under a motor sports racing support contract or event support contract related to the location of any particular racing event in the state, the comptroller shall remit to each endorsing entity, in proportion to the amount contributed by the entity, any money remaining in the trust fund. (n) This section may not be construed as creating or requiring a state guarantee of obligations imposed on the state or an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under a motor sports racing event support contract or other agreement relating to hosting one or more racing events in this state. (o) The comptroller may not undertake any of the responsibilities or duties set forth in this section unless a request is submitted by the municipality and the county in which the motor sports racing event will be held. The request must be accompanied by documentation from a site selection organization selecting the site for the racing event. (p) Any provision of this Act applicable to games as defined by Section 1(3) of this Act also applies to a motor sports racing event as defined in this section. SECTION 5. Subsection (a), Section 7, Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows: (a) The department shall review requests from a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county that the department, on behalf of the state, enter into a games support contract that is required by a site selection organization in connection with the committee's, municipality's, or county's bid to host any of the games. This section does not affect or apply to an event support contract under Section 5A or Section 5B of this Act to which the department is not a party. SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 150 passed the Senate on April 21, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.B. No. 150 passed the House, with amendment, on May 20, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: ______________________________ Date ______________________________ Governor