                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA SPORTS TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM; REPORT (§ 2.2-2320.3)

A. As used in this section:
			&#8220;Program&#8221; means the Virginia Sports Tourism Grant Program.
			&#8220;Sports tourism activity&#8221; means a youth, collegiate, or other
sporting event (i) that is competitively bid; (ii) that attracts a majority of
its participating athletes from outside of the Commonwealth to a sports venue or
other similar facility or location capable of hosting such event; and (iii)
where such venue, facility, or location is located in the Commonwealth.
			&#8220;Sports tourism activity sponsor&#8221; includes a convention and
visitors bureau, chamber of commerce, sports and entertainment authority, sports
commission, nonprofit sports support organization, or political subdivision of
the Commonwealth, or any department thereof, that provides a venue for or hosts
sports tourism activity. Such term does not include any sports tourism activity
sponsors outside of the Commonwealth.

B. There is hereby established the Virginia Sports Tourism Grant Program for the
purpose of providing grants to develop and attract sports tourism activities to
the Commonwealth. The Authority shall award grants exclusively to sports tourism
activity sponsors to attract such sports tourism activities to the Commonwealth.
As a condition of applying for a grant pursuant to this section, an applicant
shall enter into a performance agreement with the Authority that shall include
provisions for disbursement of the grant, use of the grant proceeds, reporting
responsibilities, and repayment obligations in the event of a failure to satisfy
the performance obligations of such agreement. Any repayment of grant funds
required by such performance agreement shall be paid into the state treasury.

C. The Authority shall establish guidelines, procedures, and objective criteria
for the award and distribution of grants by the Program. The preparation of the
guidelines shall be exempt from the requirements of Article 2 (&#xA7; 2.2-4006
et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act. Such guidelines shall include
requirements for a mandatory supplemental funding match in an amount equivalent
to any grant awarded by the Program.

D. The Authority shall report by November 1 of each year on any grant awards and
expenditures. The report shall include total grants awarded. The Authority shall
prepare the report required by this subsection in conjunction with the reports
required under &#xA7; 2.2-2237.1.

HISTORY: 2025, cc. 211, 216.