Section 4. Applications for and approval of grants to tourism
promotion agencies.
(a) Duties of department.--
(1) The department, working jointly with the Governor's
Tourism Partnership, shall adopt guidelines for awarding
grants under this act.
(2) (i) For the fiscal year 2008-2009, the department
shall award grants in the amount of 63% of the
appropriation for grants under this section.
(ii) For the fiscal year 2009-2010, the department
shall award grants in the amount of 57% of the
appropriation for grants under this section.
(iii) For the fiscal year 2010-2011, and every
fiscal year thereafter, the department shall award 50% of
the appropriation for grants made under this section.
(b) Procedure.--
(1) A tourism promotion agency shall apply to the
department for grants under this section in accordance with
tourism promotion program guidelines adopted by the
department working jointly with the Governor's Tourism
Partnership.
(2) After reviewing the application, the department
shall award a grant to the tourism promotion agency not to
exceed the following:
(i) In the case of a regional tourism promotion
agency, two and one-half times the local funds expended
by the agency for eligible costs in the previous fiscal
year.
(ii) In the case of a county tourism promotion
agency, two times the local funds expended by the agency
for eligible costs in the previous fiscal year.
(c) Limitation on grant amounts.--No tourism promotion agency shall be awarded more than 30% of the tourism promotion agencies' portion of any appropriation allocated to tourism promotion agencies under this section.