{"id":164283,"date":"2021-02-11T15:21:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T23:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=164283"},"modified":"2021-02-11T15:49:18","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T23:49:18","slug":"senate-legislation-to-support-tourism-and-hospitality-industries-introduced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/senate-legislation-to-support-tourism-and-hospitality-industries-introduced\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Bill to Support Tourism, Hospitality Would Provide $2.25B in Federal Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Legislation in the US Senate has been introduced that seeks to assist the tourism and hospitality industries in their COVID-19 recoveries.<\/p>\n

\"Senate
Nevada Senator Catharine Cortez Masto, seen here on the Senate floor in 2017, wants Congress to help the struggling tourism and hospitality industries. Her STEP Act would provide federal grants to entities operating in those areas. (Image: AP<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D), along with Senate cosponsors Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn.), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), today introduced another version of their Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID\u201319 Pandemic (STEP) Act. The 2021 STEP legislation would modify grant programs issued by the Economic Development Administration (EDA).<\/p>\n

If STEP 2.0 passes and is signed by President Joe Biden, $2.25 billion would be set aside to provide economic support for companies and organizations involved in promoting and facilitating tourism, travel, and special events.<\/p>\n

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As we work to safely reopen our economy, we must be doing all we can to support those who drive our hospitality industry, including within our live entertainment and outdoor recreation sectors,” said Cortez Masto. “This legislation will help our struggling tourism marketing and convention entities and ensure we promote safe travel and tourism for both visitors and workers.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The same four senators first introduced STEP in July of last year. That version sought to require the Department of Commerce to provide grants to certain tourism entities<\/a>. The legislation, however, never made it out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.<\/p>\n

That same committee has received the 2021 STEP Act. S.307 is the legislation’s official designation.<\/p>\n

Casinos Need Events, Conventions<\/b><\/h2>\n

The 2021 STEP Act is welcomed news to Las Vegas casinos. While leisure travelers heavily occupy the region’s more than 150,000 hotel rooms on the weekends during a non-pandemic environment, it’s conventioneers who keep the resorts bustling midweek.<\/p>\n

The STEP Act would allow various businesses, as well as tourism and convention agencies, to qualify for federal grants. One such example would be the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA),<\/p>\n

The STEP press release says the $2.25 billion in funding would support four main areas:<\/strong><\/p>\n