Sec. 2.

As used in this act:

(a) "Assessment district" means a county having a population of more than 1,500,000 and, if so designated by the bureau in the marketing program notice, any county or counties contiguous with it.

(b) "Assessment revenues" means the money derived from the assessment, including any interest and penalties on the assessment, imposed by this act.

(c) "Board" means the board of directors of a bureau.

(d) "Bureau" means a nonprofit corporation incorporated under the laws of this state existing solely to promote convention business and tourism within this state or a portion of this state, and which complies with all of the following:

(i) Has not less than 400 dues paying members, of which not less than 50 are owners of transient facilities.

(ii) Has been actively engaged in promoting convention business and tourism for not less than 10 years.

(iii) Has a board of directors elected by its members.

(iv) Has a full-time chief operating officer and not less than 10 full-time employees.

(v) Is a member of 1 or more nationally recognized associations of travel and convention bureaus.

(e) "Director" means the president of the Michigan strategic fund or his or her designee.

(f) "Marketing program" means a program established by a bureau to develop, encourage, solicit, and promote convention business and tourism within this state or a portion of this state within which the bureau operates. The encouragement and promotion of convention business and tourism shall include any service, function, or activity, whether or not performed, sponsored, or advertised by a bureau which intends to attract transient guests to the assessment district.

(g) "Marketing program notice" means the notice described in section 3.

(h) "Master plan" means the comprehensive, long-range master plan developed by the Michigan travel commission and the travel bureau under section 2c of the Michigan tourism policy act, 1945 PA 106, MCL 2.102c.

(i) "Owner" means the owner of a transient facility located within the assessment district or, if the transient facility is operated or managed by a person other than the owner, then the operator or manager of that transient facility.

(j) "Room" means a room or other space provided for sleeping, including the furnishings and other accessories in the room.

(k) "Assessment" means the amount levied against an owner of a transient facility within an assessment district computed by application of the applicable percentage against aggregate room charges with respect to that transient facility during the applicable assessment period.

(l) "Room charge" means the charge imposed for the use or occupancy of a room, excluding charges for food, beverages, state use tax, telephone service or like services paid in connection with the charge, and reimbursement of the assessment imposed by this act.

(m) "Transient facility" means a building which contains 35 or more rooms used in the business of providing dwelling, lodging, or sleeping to transient guests, whether or not membership is required for the use of the rooms. A transient facility shall not include a hospital or nursing home.

(n) "Transient guest" means a natural person who occupies a room in a transient facility for less than 30 consecutive days regardless of who pays the room charge.

(o) "Travel bureau" means the Michigan travel bureau created under section 2a of the Michigan tourism policy act, 1945 PA 106, MCL 2.102a.

History: 1980, Act 383, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 1981 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 625, Eff. Mar. 29, 2019