Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 57 - PLANNING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (§§ 57-NEW-001 — 57-123-55) › Chapter 123 - ASSISTANCE FOR POST-COVID-19 RESUMPTION OF TOURISM (§§ 57-123-1 — 57-123-55) › Article 1 - CORONAVIRUS RECOVERY FUNDS (§§ 57-123-1 — 57-123-11) › Section 57-123-3 - Mississippi Tourism Recovery Fund created; definitions; disbursement and allocation of funds; repayment of funds to federal government for improper use of funds

(1)
As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(a)
"Destination marketing organization" means special local governmental units created by local and private laws of the State of Mississippi for the purpose of tourism promotion, funded by special local tax levies, and staffed with professionals engaged in out-of-state tourism marketing and tourism product development for municipalities, counties and/or regions.
(b)
"Marketing activities" means multimedia marketing and advertising, including digital media, broadcast media and printed media, including travel publications, production, travel market sector analysis, consumer travel sentiment, public relations, communication strategy, direct sales bookings, group tour bookings, tourism development and administrative costs to execute marketing activities related to the business disruption effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 as expressed in Section
57-123-1
.
(2)
(a)
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Mississippi Tourism Recovery Fund," which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used by the Department of Finance and Administration, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes provided in this section. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. If on December 1, 2020, there are unexpended monies in the fund, those monies shall be transferred to the Unemployment Compensation Fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed by the Department of Finance and Administration as follows:
(i)
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be disbursed to the Tate County Economic Development Foundation for use by the foundation to assist the Senatobia Chamber of Commerce Main Street program in paying the costs of marketing activities;
(ii)
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be disbursed to the Brookhaven Tourism Council to assist in paying the costs of marketing activities; and
(iii)
Thirteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($13,500,000.00) shall be disbursed as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2) to assist destination marketing organizations in paying costs for marketing activities.
(b)
(i)
The Department of Finance and Administration shall determine, in conjunction with the destination marketing organizations, the allocations of monies provided under paragraph (a)(iii) of this subsection (2) as follows:
1.
Not more than Nine Million Seven Hundred Forty-four Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-eight Dollars ($9,744,788.00) of such monies shall be allocated to destination marketing organizations in a manner that will provide monies to a destination marketing organization in an amount equal to seventy-five percent (75%) of the destination marketing organization's marketing and advertising expenditures during the 2019 fiscal year, and
2.
Not more than Three Million Seven Hundred Fifty-five Thousand Two Hundred Thirteen Dollars ($3,755,213.00) of such monies shall be allocated to destination marketing organizations based on the proportion that a destination marketing organization's contribution toward total tourism visitors in the state according to the 2019 Fiscal Year Visit Mississippi Visitors Profile Report bears to all destination marketing organizations' contributions toward total tourism visitors in the state according to the 2019 Fiscal Year Visit Mississippi Visitors Profile Report. However, a destination marketing organization shall not receive an amount less than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) under this item 2.
(ii)
Within fifteen (15) days of enactment, the Department of Finance and Administration shall distribute the funds allocated under paragraph (b)(i) to eligible destination marketing organizations. Before receiving funds under this paragraph (b), a destination marketing organization must certify to the Department of Finance and Administration that:
1.
The funds will only be used for marketing activities, and
2.
The funds will be expended before December 30, 2020, unless otherwise authorized by federal law or guidance.
(iii)
Destination marketing organizations receiving funds under this paragraph (b) shall keep and maintain records related to expenditures. Destination marketing organizations receiving funds under this paragraph (b) shall also track impacts of their marketing activities through special levy tax receipts, hotel occupancy indicators, other tourism industry metrics, and analytics from marketing campaigns, as appropriate. Such destination marketing organizations shall provide quarterly reports on expenditures and economic impacts of their marketing activities to the Department of Finance and Administration, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Department of Audit.
(iv)
Subject to applicable purchasing laws, destination marketing organizations will give preference, when available and practical, to Mississippi-based companies for any new contracts entered into for marketing activities.
(3)
The Department of Finance and Administration and the Department of Audit shall have all powers necessary for the implementation of this section.
(4)
If the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of the Treasury, or the Office of Inspector General of any other federal agency having oversight over the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act (a) determines that the Department of Finance and Administration or recipient has expended or otherwise used any of the funds appropriated to the Department of Finance and Administration under this article for any purpose that is not in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act, and (b) the State of Mississippi is required to repay the federal government for any of those funds that the Office of the Inspector General determined were expended or otherwise used improperly by the Department of Finance and Administration or recipient, then the Department of Finance and Administration or recipient, as the case may be, that expended or otherwise used those funds improperly shall be required to pay the amount of those funds to the State of Mississippi for repayment to the federal government.
Added by Laws, 2020, ch. 490, HB 1791,§ 3, eff. 7/9/2020.