WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Federal Way tourism bills OK’d by House and Senate

OLYMPIA – It seems certain that Federal Way will soon have the autonomy to aggressively promote tourism in the city, thanks to the passage of twin bills in both the House and Senate in the last two days.  HB 1279 and its Senate companion remove a roadblock that has stymied Federal Way’s ability to tell the world just what a great place it is.

Rep. Carol Gregory (D-30th, Federal Way), co-sponsor of the House bill, said “Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Federal Way know what we have.  Fine hotels, affordable motels, and unique B&Bs.  A fast-growing creative arts scene.  Terrific restaurants, unparalleled outdoor recreation, and wonderful people.  It seems a shame to keep those a secret, and these votes in the Legislature are good news for our city and its economy.”

Under current law dating back to 2009, cities in King County are authorized to join with neighboring cities to establish and operate what the Legislature called a tourism promotion area (TPA).  Funds to promote tourism in the TPA would be provided by a $2-per-night room fee collected by hotels and motels within the TPA.

The problem for Federal Way was that none of the adjacent cities were interested in joining with it to form a TPA, and individual cities were not authorized to create a TPA on their own.  The bills remove the requirement that a TPA could only be created by two or more cities acting together.

”The welcome sign is out in Federal Way,” Gregory said. “I congratulate my fellow sponsors and seatmates, and I want to thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for their votes.”