Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 51, § 1264. Submission of plan to generate state revenues; certification; appropriations to department

A. The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism through the office of tourism is authorized to formulate a tourism development plan consisting of tourism promotion programs and cultural activities which is designed to and can be demonstrated to generate additional state revenues. The plan may be a part of the master plan provided in R.S. 51:1261 or may be a separate plan. The plan and an estimate of the amount of additional revenues to be generated in each fiscal year encompassed by the plan shall be submitted by the department to the Revenue Estimating Conference, and shall include for each fiscal year a detailed itemization of the expenditures required to implement the plan, an analysis of the impact of various components of the plan on estimated revenues, the assumptions used, an assessment of the impact of the plan on existing tourism and cultural activities, and the revenues generated by those activities, the sources of additional revenue anticipated, and such other information as may be required by the conference. The conference shall review the information submitted and may use whatever staff, information, and technical expertise which it may determine is required to evaluate the submitted plan and estimate. The Revenue Estimating Conference shall establish and certify an official estimate of the additional revenues to be generated by the proposed plan and shall include in its official estimate of state revenues for each fiscal year the amount of additional revenues estimated to be generated in that fiscal year under the tourism development plan.

B. The department may receive in each fiscal year an appropriation of up to one-half of the amount of additional revenues estimated by the Revenue Estimating Conference to be generated by the plan in that fiscal year. However, the amount so appropriated in any fiscal year shall not exceed five million dollars. Of the amount appropriated in each fiscal year at least twenty percent shall be designated for the support of cultural programs. Appropriations made pursuant to this Section shall in no way limit general fund appropriations to the department by the legislature in excess of the minimum amount herein established.