§ 42-63.1-5. Regional tourism districts. (a) The state of Rhode Island is divided into eight (8) regional tourism districts to be administered by the tourism council, convention and visitor's bureau or the Rhode Island commerce corporation established in chapter 42-64 as designated in this section:

(1) South County district which shall include Westerly, Charlestown, Narragansett, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Hopkinton, Exeter, Richmond, West Greenwich, East Greenwich, and Coventry to be administered by the South County tourism council, inc.;

(2) Providence district consists of the city of Providence to be administered by the Convention Authority of the City of Providence.

(3) Northern Rhode Island district consists of Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Lincoln, Central Falls, Cumberland, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Glocester and Burrillville to be administered by the Blackstone Valley tourism council, inc.;

(4) Aquidneck Island district consists of Barrington, Bristol, Warren, Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton and Little Compton to be administered by the Newport and Bristol County convention and visitors bureau;

(5) Warwick district consists of the city of Warwick to be administered by the city of Warwick department of economic development;

(6) Block Island district which shall consist of the town of New Shoreham to be administered by the New Shoreham tourism council, inc.;

(7) East Providence to be administered by an entity that shall be acceptable to the economic development corporation; provided that all funds generated in the city of East Providence shall be held by the Rhode Island division of taxation until such time as the city of East Providence elects to become a member of a regional tourism district at which time the monies held by the Rhode Island division of taxation shall be transferred to the tourism district or convention visitors' bureau selected by the city of East Providence;

(8) Statewide district consists of all cities and towns not delineated in subdivisions (1) through (7) to be administered by the Rhode Island commerce corporation established in chapter 42-64.

(b) Before receiving any funds under this chapter, the organizations designated to receive the funds on behalf of the South County regional tourism district and the Northern Rhode Island regional tourism district shall be required to apply to and receive approval from the Rhode Island commerce corporation pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the Rhode Island commerce corporation. The corporation shall review the eligibility of the regional tourism district organizations to receive the funds at least annually.

(c) On or before January 1, 2016 and every January 1 thereafter, all regional tourism districts created under these sections shall be required to seek and obtain the approval of the executive office of commerce regarding the incorporation of common statewide marketing themes, logos, and slogans, among other features, prior to the release of lodging tax funds to the districts.

History of Section. (P.L. 1986, ch. 506, § 2; P.L. 1988, ch. 418, § 3; P.L. 1991, ch. 180, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 28, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 12, § 6; P.L. 1995, ch. 371, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 430, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 55, art. 29, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 241, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 205, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 242, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 141, art. 11, § 2.)