(a) Each industry category shall establish a committee to determine the following within its industry category: industry segments, assessment formula for each industry segment, and any types of business exempt from assessment. The initial segment committees shall consist of the subcommittee for that category as described in subdivision (d) of Section 13995.30. Following approval of the assessment by referendum, the committees shall be selected by the commission, based upon recommendations from the tourism industry. Committee members need not be commission members.

(b) The committee recommendations shall be presented to the commission or selection committee, as applicable. The selection committee may adopt a resolution specifying some or all of the items listed in subdivision (a), plus an allocation of the overall assessment among industry categories. The commission may adopt a resolution specifying one or more of the items listed in subdivision (a), plus an allocation of the proposed assessment. The selection committee and commission are not required to adopt the findings of any committee.

(c) The initial industry category and industry segment allocations shall be included in the selection committee report required by subdivision (b) of Section 13995.30. Changes to the industry segment allocation formula may be recommended to the commission by a segment committee at the biennial commission meeting scheduled to approve the referendum resolution pursuant to Section 13995.60. At the same meeting, the commission may amend the percentage allocations among industry categories. Any item discussed in this section that is approved by resolution of the commission, except amendments to the percentage allocations among industry categories, shall be placed on the next referendum, and adopted if approved by the majority of weighted votes cast.

(d) Upon approval by referendum, the office shall mail an assessment bill to each assessed business. The director shall determine how often assessments are collected, based upon available staffing resources. The director may stagger the assessment collection throughout the year, and charge businesses a prorated amount of assessment because of the staggered assessment period. The director and office shall not divulge the amount of assessment or weighted votes of any assessed businesses, except as part of an assessment action.

(e) An assessed business may appeal an assessment to the director based upon the fact that the business does not meet the definition established for an assessed business within its industry segment or that the level of assessment is incorrect. An appeal brought under this subdivision shall be supported by substantial evidence submitted under penalty of perjury by affidavit or declaration as provided in Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure. If the error is based upon failure of the business to provide the required information in a timely manner, the director may impose a fee for reasonable costs incurred by the director in correcting the assessment against the business as a condition of correcting the assessment.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an assessed business may pass on some or all of the assessment to customers. An assessed business that is passing on the assessment may, but shall not be required to, separately identify or itemize the assessment on any document provided to a customer. Assessments levied pursuant to this chapter and passed on to customers are not part of gross receipts or gross revenue for any purpose, including the calculation of sales or use tax and income pursuant to any lease. However, assessments that are passed on to customers shall be included in gross receipts for purposes of income and franchise taxes.

(g) For purposes of calculating the assessment for a business with revenue in more than one industry category or industry segment, that business may elect to be assessed based on either of the following:

(1) The assessment methodology and rate of assessment applicable to each category or segment, respectively, as it relates to the revenue that it derives from that category or segment.

(2) With respect to its total revenue from all industry categories or segments, the assessment methodology and rate of assessment applicable to the revenue in the category and segment in which it earns the most gross revenue.

(h) (1) A person sharing common ownership, management, or control of more than one assessed business may elect to calculate, administer, and pay the assessment owed by each business by any of the following methods:

(A) Calculated on the basis of each individual business location.

(B) Calculated on the basis of each business, or each group of businesses, possessing a single federal employer identification number, regardless of the number of locations involved.

(C) Calculated on the basis of the average aggregate percentage of tourism-related gross revenue received by all of the person’s businesses in a particular industry segment or industry category during the period in question, multiplied by the total aggregate tourism-related gross revenue received by all of the businesses, and then multiplied by the appropriate assessment formula. For example, if a person sharing common ownership, management, or control of more than one assessed business in the retail industry segment calculates that the average percentage of tourism-related gross revenue received by all of its locations equals 6 percent during the period in question, that person may multiply all of the gross revenue received from all of those locations by 6 percent, and then multiply that product by the applicable assessment formula.

(D) Calculated on any other basis authorized by the director.

(2) Except as the director may otherwise authorize, the methods in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1) shall not be used if the aggregate assessments paid would be less than the total assessment revenues that would be paid if the method in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) were used.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 270. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)