A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to give priority to local events at specified publicly owned CONVENTION centers.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this act:
(1)	Black‑out period. – A period provided in a booking contract during which a directly competing event can be blocked from using the same publicly owned convention facility as the event provided for in the booking contract.
(2)	External event. – An exhibition or event planned, coordinated, financed, and promoted by a sponsor whose principal business location is outside the jurisdiction of the public owner/operator and which utilizes fewer than 500 hotel room nights.
(3)	Local event. – An exhibition or event planned, coordinated, financed, and promoted by a local sponsor which utilizes fewer than 500 hotel room nights.
(4)	Local sponsor. – An organization the principal business location of which is located within the jurisdiction of the public owner/operator, with a membership of at least 100 businesses and individuals, with at least ten percent (10%) of its membership being composed of local businesses or individuals subject to the taxing authority of the public owner/operator, and with an annual budget averaged over the preceding three years of no less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000).
(5)	Public owner/operator. – A city government subject to Chapter 160A of the General Statutes or a county government subject to Chapter 153A of the General Statutes with a population, as measured in the most recent census, of at least 100,000 and no more than 300,000 or regional authorities comprised of two or more city or county governments representing a cumulative population of at least 250,000 and no more than 500,000 that own or operate a publicly owned convention facility.
(6)	Publicly owned convention facility. – A convention or civic center facility for which at least fifty percent (50%) of the cost of construction was paid for, or guaranteed, by public funds, including, without limitation, special purpose or general obligation bonds.
SECTION 2.  Publicly Owned Convention Center Booking Policy. – Any public owner/operator shall promulgate and enforce booking policies for its publicly owned convention facility which accommodate the needs of local sponsors.  Such booking policies shall provide a higher priority category for local events than for external events.  This requirement shall not be interpreted to require priority for local events over priority categories based on utilization of 500 or more hotel room nights.  Any booking policy and any management agreement entered into by the public owner/operator shall require:
(1)	That a priority category be created for local events, distinct from external events.
(2)	That the priority category for local events provide at a minimum that local events cannot be blocked by tentative scheduling of other local events or external events.
(3)	That black‑out periods be limited to periods of 30 days or less before and after the event for local events and external events.
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.