Senate Bill 998 establishes a framework for the creation of tourism promotion improvement districts (TPIDs) by political subdivisions, such as cities, villages, towns, or counties, in Wisconsin. A TPID must encompass at least two hotels or motels and allows the political subdivision to levy assessments on these establishments to fund improvements and activities aimed at boosting tourism and increasing overnight stays. The bill outlines the process for creating a TPID, which includes obtaining petitions from owners of at least 50% of hotel and motel rooms in the proposed district, holding a public hearing, and securing approval from the local legislative body. The operating plan for the district must detail the improvements, activities, financing sources, and assessment methods.

Additionally, the bill mandates that an owners association, a private nonprofit entity, be formed to manage the funds collected from the assessments and oversee the implementation of the operating plan. It specifies that the Department of Revenue will collect these assessments and distribute them to the owners associations. The bill also includes provisions for modifying the operating plan, dissolving the district under certain conditions, and stipulates that any remaining revenues after dissolution must be used in accordance with the operating plan. Importantly, it prohibits political subdivisions from reducing existing tourism promotion funding based on the assessments collected from the TPIDs.