1. (a) As used in this section:

   1. (1) “Department” means the Department of Economic and Community Development;
   2. (2) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development;
   3. (3) “Former tourism district” means the tourism districts, as defined in section 32-302 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2003; and
   4. (4) “Regional tourism district” means one of the three regional tourism districts created by section 10-397.

2. (b) Any former tourism district having a cash surplus, after accounting for all liabilities, may distribute such surplus to the regional tourism district or districts serving the towns formerly served by such district. Any distribution shall be divided among the new district or districts in accordance with the following schedule:

   Former District	New District(s)
   Northeastern	Eastern (100%)
   Southeastern	Eastern (100%)
   North Central	Central (100%)
   Greater Hartford	Central (95%)
   	Western (5%)
   Central Connecticut	Central (100%)
   Connecticut Valley	Central (100%)
   Greater New Haven	Central (67%)
   	Western (33%)
   Litchfield Hills	Western (100%)
   Housatonic Valley	Western (100%)
   Greater Waterbury	Western (100%)
   Greater Fairfield	Western (100%)

3. (c) Any former tourism district may, with the approval of the commissioner, transfer noncash assets, including fixed assets and leases, to a regional tourism district or districts serving the towns formerly served by such district.
4. (d) Any regional tourism district may, by vote of its board of directors and with the approval of the department, assume the liabilities of a former tourism district that served all or part of the area served by the new district. No such assumption shall be approved unless (1) the regional district's approved budget makes provision for the costs arising from the assumption of liability; and (2) the department finds that the proposed assumption of liability is fair and equitable.

(P.A. 04-205, S. 3; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 14; P.A. 11-48, S. 103.)

History: P.A. 04-205 effective June 3, 2004 (Revisor's note: The statutory reference contained in Subsec. (a)(4) was changed editorially by the Revisors to “section 10-397” for accuracy); Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (b) to change references re tourism districts from Southwestern and Northwestern to Western and South Central to Central, effective January 1, 2010; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by changing defined term from “commission” to “department”, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by changing defined term from “executive director” to “commissioner”, amended Subsec. (a)(4) by redefining “regional tourism district” as one of 3, rather than 5, districts created by Sec. 10-397, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “executive director” with “commissioner” and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “commission” with “department”, effective July 1, 2011.