81-3710. Nebraska Tourism Commission; created; members; terms.

(1) The Nebraska Tourism Commission is created. The terms of the members serving pursuant to subsection (2) of this section terminate thirty days after August 24, 2017. The terms of the members serving pursuant to subsection (3) of this section begin thirty days after August 24, 2017.

(2) Until thirty days after August 24, 2017, the commission shall consist of the following members:

(a) One representative from the Game and Parks Commission;

(b) One representative from the Nebraska Travel Association;

(c) One representative from the Nebraska Hotel and Motel Association;

(d) One representative from a tourism attraction that records at least two thousand out-of-state visitors per year;

(e) One representative from the Nebraska Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus;

(f) One representative from the Western Nebraska Tourism Coalition;

(g) One representative who resides in eastern Nebraska and is employed by a business that derives a majority of its revenue from out-of-state visitors;

(h) One representative from the Central Nebraska Tourism Partnership; and

(i) One representative of a business that derives a majority of its revenue from out-of-state visitors.

(3)(a) The Governor shall, within thirty days after August 24, 2017, appoint the members of the commission to begin serving at such time, prior to approval by the Legislature. The members shall consist of eleven residents of the State of Nebraska. Four of the members shall have professional, volunteer, or public service experience that contributes to the fiduciary and governance duties of the commission. Seven of the members shall be affiliated with the tourism industry. One member shall be appointed from each of the eleven districts designated in subdivision (b) of this subsection.

(b) For purposes of this section, the state is hereby divided into eleven districts. The limits and designations of the eleven districts shall be as follows:

(i) District No. 1. Douglas County;

(ii) District No. 2. Lancaster County;

(iii) District No. 3. The counties of Richardson, Pawnee, Nemaha, Johnson, Otoe, Gage, Saline, and Jefferson;

(iv) District No. 4. The counties of Cass and Sarpy;

(v) District No. 5. The counties of Saunders, Washington, Dodge, Colfax, Stanton, Cuming, Burt, Thurston, Wayne, Cedar, Dixon, and Dakota;

(vi) District No. 6. The counties of Butler, Polk, Platte, Merrick, Nance, Boone, Madison, Pierce, Antelope, Knox, Holt, and Boyd;

(vii) District No. 7. The counties of Thayer, Nuckolls, Webster, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Seward, York, Hamilton, Franklin, and Harlan;

(viii) District No. 8. The counties of Kearney, Phelps, Hall, Howard, Greeley, Wheeler, Buffalo, Sherman, Valley, and Garfield;

(ix) District No. 9. The counties of Lincoln, Keya Paha, Rock, Brown, Loup, Blaine, Custer, Logan, McPherson, Arthur, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, and Cherry;

(x) District No. 10. The counties of Furnas, Red Willow, Hitchcock, Dundy, Chase, Hayes, Frontier, Gosper, Dawson, Perkins, and Keith; and

(xi) District No. 11. The counties of Deuel, Garden, Sheridan, Cheyenne, Morrill, Box Butte, Dawes, Sioux, Scotts Bluff, Banner, and Kimball.

(c) The Governor shall appoint members representing district numbers 1, 6, 8, and 11 to serve for terms ending April 1, 2019; members representing district numbers 2, 5, 7, and 10 to serve for terms ending April 1, 2021; and members representing district numbers 3, 4, and 9 to serve for terms ending April 1, 2023. The terms of their successors shall be four years. The Governor shall appoint their successors with the approval of the majority of the members of the Legislature. A person appointed to serve pursuant to this subsection may serve only two successive terms.

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