AN ACT relating to tourism and declaring an emergency.

Amend KRS 142.406 to require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish criteria to administer a regional marketing and matching funds program; require the program to provide financial and marketing assistance for projects that directly support the promotion and marketing efforts of a tourism attraction event or geographic area; establish 9 tourism regions in the state; require a tourism regional committee to be established within each tourism region; set requirements for the appointment of…

Introduced: February 19, 2026

Last action: February 26, 2026

To Tourism & Outdoor Recreation (H)

Read the full text Kentucky Legislature LegiScan

AI-generated — always verify with primary sources

Plain-language summary

Beta

This bill would reorganize how Kentucky promotes tourism by dividing the state into nine official regions, each with its own advisory committee to guide local marketing efforts. It also sets rules for how state tourism funds are spent, requiring at least a quarter of available money to be shared equally among the regions and at least ten percent to go toward a regional matching funds program. State park officials would also be required to report occupancy rates to the legislature. Who it may affect: tourism businesses, event organizers, local governments, and state park visitors across Kentucky.

Open official bill text (PDF)·Report a problem with the summary