SD House Bill 1206 | Black Hills & Badlands - South Dakota

SD House Bill 1206

  • SD House Bill 1206
Phone: 
(605) 355-3600

You might have noticed a few special messages from BH&B throughout the last week regarding updates to SD House Bill 1206. This proposed legislation jeoparadizes visitor marketing efforts as it seeks to repeal the half-penny that was added to the tourism promotion tax in 2011 and made permanent in 2013.

South Dakota Department of Tourism Secretary James Hagen shared the following background relating to this issue: "The half-penny generates $4.2 million dollars. Of that amount, the Department of Tourism receives about $2.6 million. The rest of the money goes to fund the South Dakota Arts Council and some operations of the State Historical Society. Of the $2.6 million that is allocated to the Department of Tourism, every penny of it goes into our cooperative marketing programs. It reduces the cost to our partners for our coop magazine opportunities in national publications like Midwest Living and Better Homes and Gardens. It allows us to give money to our four tourism associations (regions) so they can offer cooperative marketing dollars to smaller tourism attractions and businesses within their region. The half-penny revenue completely funds our community cooperative marketing programs. This allows us to partner with and provide marketing funds to Watertown, Sioux Falls, Yankton, Pierre, Rapid City, Spearfish, Deadwood, Sturgis, Custer, Custer State Park, Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association, and Hot Springs."

The bill had its first reading on Thursday, January 25, and was assigned to the House Taxation Committee for a tentative hearing on Thursday, February 1, but that meeting was recheduled for Tuesday, February 6 at 7:45 a.m. CST.

If you haven't done so already, this extention allows for more time to contact members of the committee and voice concerns for the bill. To aid in conversation with legislators, the South Dakota Department of Tourism has issued these Talking Points.

Thank you for your support and protection of South Dakota's tourism industry!