Mar04GovtReport

IAAPA’s new Government Tracking Center was introduced in January 2004 on the government relations section of the IAAPA web site. This product, updated around the middle of each month, will keep members informed of the latest legislative and regulatory measures that could have a profound effect on the amusement industry in the United States. The report will chronicle the latest developments in the United States Congress, as well as the most recent information provided by individual state legislatures on issues of great importance to the industry. The tracking center will also identify rulemaking proceedings throughout both the federal and state governments as they pertain to amusement parks and attractions. This four-section report will cover a variety of issues.

Beyond federal legislation specific to amusement parks, the report will identify bills concerning travel and tourism, changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act, amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and nonimmigrant passport and visa issues. Each bill will be identified by title and bill number on the report and will be linked to a site where a user can view cosponsors and read the actual text of the measure. The report will also track recent developments on the legislation and will contain analysis of the prospects for passage, and whether a similar bill has been introduced in a previous congress. Other information included in the federal legislation section will include links to any hearings or committee reports, and a link to the homepage of the member who introduced the measure.

Federal agencies will also be monitored by the report. Like the legislative section, the federal regulation section will track proposed and final rules that could directly and indirectly affect amusement parks and attractions. For example, the report will track potential Department of Commerce initiatives with regard to tourism while monitoring the Department of Homeland Security’s progress in implementing the US-VISIT program. The federal legislation and federal regulation sections of IAAPA’s Government Tracking Center will keep members updated on the happenings in Washington, D.C.

But as members know, there are a number of issues affecting the daily operations of a facility that are not overseen by the United States government. For that reason, the report will research state legislatures and state administrative offices to identify the laws and rules that will affect the amusement park industry in individual states. State governments are the most likely place to find legislation dealing specifically with amusement ride safety, rider responsibility, amusement taxes, school start dates, and seasonal and minimum wage measures. The state legislation section will include a topical summary of each identified state bill, a link to bill text (when available online), and the current status of each measure.

The final section of the report will allow the user to learn about amusement-related regulations in individual states. Each entry will identify the acting state agency and will provide a detailed summary of the regulation. Also included will be the state code citation number and the effective date or deadline of the final or proposed rule. For example, the inaugural report identified two rules permitting amusement facilities to be identified on highway attractions signs throughout Colorado and North Carolina.

The IAAPA Government Tracking Center is the first of many tools that the government relations department is developing to keep members informed of the latest legislation and regulations that influence the prosperity of the industry. The tracking center is in its nascent stages, and user input is invited so that the report can become an even better product for the entire membership. Your feedback will guide the development of this and other government relations projects. We look forward to hearing from you.