The proposed bill establishes a tourism self-supported assessment program in Washington aimed at funding statewide tourism promotion. It highlights the significance of a strong visitor economy for the state's well-being and seeks to enhance the tourism industry's competitiveness through a structured assessment program. Key features include the creation of a ratepayer oversight board composed of representatives from various tourism sectors to manage the assessment funds effectively. The program will require approval from affected tourism businesses before any assessments are collected, ensuring stakeholder involvement in the process.

Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions to protect the confidentiality of financial and commercial information related to the tourism assessment program, specifically stating that such information will be safeguarded from public disclosure. It also includes various insertions and deletions to existing statutes to enhance the protection of sensitive financial and proprietary information across multiple sectors, including cannabis and health care. These changes aim to maintain confidentiality for information that could lead to financial loss if disclosed, while still allowing necessary disclosures to be made without compromising the interests of the involved parties.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 43.384.010, 43.384.040, 43.384.030