Notice of Introduction for Senate Bill 6061 - Update: 10 Year Analysis Complete

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UPDATE: The 10 year analysis for SB 6061, titled AN ACT Relating to establishing a tourism self-supported assessment program to fund statewide tourism promotion, has been completed. The Office of Financial Management has identified this bill as requiring a ten-year projection of increased cost to the taxpayers or affected fee payers.

Ten-year projection:

Fiscal Year		Tourism Assessment Program
2026		$0
2027		$0
2028		$0
2029		$264,604
2030		$465,604
2031		$465,604
2032		$465,604
2033		$465,604
2034		$465,604
2035		$465,604
Total:		$3,058,228

Department of Commerce:

Cash Receipt impacts:

Section 7(2)(b) allows for the tourism assessment program to cover administrative costs. Expenditures incurred by the Department of Commerce as outlined in this fiscal note will be billed to the Ratepayer Authority Board to be reimbursed to the state. The Department of Commerce assumes that funds will be available for reimbursement of expenses in FY 29 per section 6(1)(a) that requires the Ratepayer Oversight Board to conduct a referendum on the assessment program by that time.

Estimated amounts:

FY 29: $264,604

FY 30: $465,604

FY 31: $465,604

FY 32: $465,604

FY 33: $465,604

FY 34: $465,604

FY 35: $465,604

FY 26-35 total: 3,058,228

Estimated funding amounts collected for the Tourism Assessment Account can be made by using values from a comparable program in California and using Department of Revenue data, comprehensive of the state tourism and hospitality industries business and occupation (B&O) tax paid in fiscal year 2025. The following assumptions are made: 

•           The assessment is based on the gross business income. In 2025, there were 28,487 businesses that paid B&O tax totaling $57,242,481,643 in gross business revenue.

•           The 2025 B&O revenue paid to the state totaled $201,538,567.

•           In a similar model to this proposed bill, the state of California assesses tourism businesses at a rate range of 0.000975 to 0.00195 assessment to participating industries. For illustrative purposes, using Washington’s tourism and hospitality industry’s gross business revenue, and applying these rates to the full gross business income example, the Tourism Assessment Account would generate between $55,811,420 to $111,622,839 per fiscal year. 

*In California: Each business can use any method to determine the percentage of revenue from tourism but may be required by the Office of Tourism to provide the documentation of the findings if the percentages are inconsistent with numbers reported in the given area. This will result in the ranges provided being reduced significantly. https://tourism.ca.gov/s/calculate-assessment?language=en_US

•           For illustrative purposes we are applying an example tourism percentage of gross business income at 50%. Adjusting the range as follows, $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

Estimated Revenue for Tourism Assessment Account:

FY 29: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 30: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 31: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 32: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 33: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 34: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY 35: $27,905,710 to $55,811,420

FY26-35 total: $195,339,969 to $390,679,937

Ten-year projection prepared in consultation with the following agencies:

Department of Commerce


Bill sponsors and contact information:

Senator Marcus Riccelli, Prime Sponsor
Democrat
(360) 786-7604
marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov

Senator Annette Cleveland
Democrat
(360) 786-7696
Annette.Cleveland@leg.wa.gov

Senator Marko Liias
Democrat
(360) 786-7640
marko.liias@leg.wa.gov

Senator T'wina Nobles
Democrat
(360) 786-7654
T'wina.Nobles@leg.wa.gov

Senator Claire Wilson
Democrat
(360) 786-7658
claire.wilson@leg.wa.gov




Legislative Bill Information Website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Initiative 960 Website: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/default.asp