Authority: Title 2.1, Chapter 32.3, Code of Virginia.

A.1. The Department of Transportation shall pay to the Virginia Tourism Authority $1,000,000 each year for continued operation of the Welcome Centers. The Department of Transportation shall fund maintenance at each facility based on the agreed-upon service levels contained in the Memorandum of Agreement to be executed by the Virginia Tourism Authority and the Department of Transportation.

2. To the extent necessary to fund the operations of the Welcome Centers, the Virginia Tourism Authority is authorized to collect fees paid by businesses for display space at the Welcome Centers.

B. The Authority is authorized to spend $200,000 the first year and $200,000 the second year from the general fund to support the "See Virginia First" cooperative advertising program operated by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters.

C. The Authority is authorized to spend $110,000 the first year and $110,000 the second year from the general fund to support the "See Virginia First" cooperative advertising program operated by the Outdoor Advertising Association of Virginia.

D.1. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $6,000,000 the first year and $6,000,000 the second year from the general fund for the cooperative advertising program matching grants and direct administrative expenses.

2. Out of the amounts provided for the cooperative advertising program, at least $250,000 the first year and at least $250,000 the second year from the general fund shall be used to market and promote Virginia's African-American heritage sites, programs, and events. The Virginia Tourism Authority shall solicit proposals, evaluate applications, and award grants for the first year prior to January 1, 2001, and for the second year prior to January 1, 2002. Awards shall be made on the basis of a 100 percent cash match to private or public sector entities to market and promote Virginia's African-American heritage sites, programs, and events.

3. As a condition of appropriation for this Item, any guidelines used by the Virginia Tourism Authority for funding in fiscal year 2000 under the Cooperative Advertising Program are to be considered interim and shall be submitted for approval to the General Assembly in the 2001 Session.

4. Applicants for grants from the cooperative advertising program shall submit a Letter of Intent in August of each year and a completed application the following January for grants to be awarded in the following fiscal year.

E. Upon authorization of the Governor, the Virginia Tourism Authority may transfer funds appropriated to it by this act to a nonstock corporation.

F. Prior to July 1 of each fiscal year, the Virginia Tourism Authority shall provide to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget a report of its operating plan. Prior to September 1 of each fiscal year, the Authority shall provide to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget a detailed expenditure report and a listing of the salaries and bonuses for all Authority employees for the prior fiscal year. The formats for all three reports shall be developed with and approved by the Department of Planning and Budget. The formats for such reports shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and Budget for approval no later than two weeks prior to the due date for each respective report.

G. The State Comptroller shall disburse the first and second year appropriations as follows: Twenty percent (20%) in the first month, fifteen percent (15%) in each of the second and third months, six percent (6%) in each of the fourth through the tenth months, and four percent (4%) in each of the last two months. The Director of the Department of Planning and Budget may authorize an increase in disbursements for any month, not to exceed the total appropriation for the fiscal year, if such an advance is necessary to meet payment obligations.

H. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $200,000 the first year and $200,000 the second year from the general fund for the Regional Tourism Promotion Advertising Program. Funding from this program will be used on the basis of a 50 percent match Grant awards are to be matched by any group of at least three political jurisdictions for regional tourism promotion advertising campaigns.

I. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $200,000 the first year and $200,000 the second year from the general fund to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy to develop the "African-American Heritage Trails in Virginia" program. Funds may be used to support research positions and to develop a database of African-American sites, as well as to promote and market the sites.

J. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $300,000 the first year from the general fund to be matched on a 100 percent cash basis by North Carolina, Tennessee, or the Blue Ridge Parkway Association for marketing and promotion of existing and new or expanded attractions along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

K. The Virginia Tourism Authority shall offer souvenir items for sale at the Bell Tower visitor information center in Capitol Square. Such souvenir items shall be stocked and available for direct purchase at the visitor information center. Net proceeds from the sale of souvenirs shall be used for Virginia Tourism Authority projects designed to increase tourism in the Commonwealth.

L. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year from the general fund for a national comprehensive museum and education center focused on the Civil War period of American history.

M. The Virginia Tourism Authority shall report to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by October 1 of each year on the status of plans for the events marking the 400th anniversary of the 1607 settlement at Jamestown. The report shall include a discussion of cooperative arrangements and plans of state agencies, institutions of higher education, and other entities, including, but not limited to, the Virginia Tourism Authority, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the National Park Service, and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

N. The Virginia Tourism Authority shall report by December 1 of each year to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees on its core marketing and advertising programs. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the goals, objectives and strategies of the Authority's marketing and advertising programs; the media used and dollars spent for advertising and the effectiveness and efficiencies of each; the events and sites the Authority markets including the location of these events by region; the financial relationships between the Authority and its public and private partners; and other such relevant information.

O. The Virginia Tourism Corporation, with the assistance of the City of Suffolk, shall develop a Public Use Development Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge.

P. Out of the amounts in this Item shall be provided $200,000 the first year from the general fund and $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year from vending machine revenues the Department of Transportation payments for the completion of the Centerstate 29 Visitor Center.

Q. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $75,000 the first year from the general fund to Virginia's Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands, Inc., for tourism advertising and marketing activities.

R. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $100,000 the first year and $100,000 the second year from the general fund to the New River Valley Visitors' Alliance.

S. Out of the amounts in this Item shall be provided $75,000 the first year from the general fund to update the Virginia Travel Guide for the Disabled. The Virginia Tourism Authority is authorized to provide up to $75,000 in matching funds from the Cooperative Advertising Fund.

T. Out of the amounts for Tourist Promotion shall be provided $75,000 the first year from the general fund to provide operating support for the Coalfield Regional Tourism Authority.