SB 312 - Vessel Passenger Tax

• Reduces the state excise tax on commercial passenger vessel passengers from $46 to $34.50 per voyage lasting more than 72 hours on Alaska's marine water.

• Deposits gambling tax proceeds from commercial passenger vessels into a subaccount within the commercial vessel passenger tax account and directs tax revenue to port facilities, harbor infrastructure, and services benefiting commercial vessels and passengers.

• Distributes $5 per passenger from tax revenue to the first seven ports of call in the state (or $2.50 each to cities and boroughs in certain cases), subject to annual legislative appropriation.

• Reduces the state excise tax by the amount of any local municipal tax imposed before December 17, 2007, and prohibits municipalities with pre-existing taxes from receiving additional state appropriations between October 31, 2010 and November 1, 2015.

• Requires the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to submit triennial reports on community needs for hosting cruise ship passengers and the use of appropriated tax funds, with the first detailed revenue report due January 1, 2014.