HEA 1395 Summary

• Establishes a 19-member convention and visitor bureau in Lake County to promote convention, tourism, and visitor industry development, with appointments from city/town executives, municipal legislative bodies, county council, county commissioners, and the lieutenant governor.

• Allows bureau members to be removed for cause by their appointing authority or by board vote if they fail to meet required qualifications in hospitality-related businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, travel, transportation, conventions, trade shows, riverboats, banking, real estate, or construction).

• Modifies political affiliation verification for local board appointments by requiring the most recent primary election in which an appointee voted to be an Indiana primary election, or if never voted in a primary, the appointee must be certified by the county party chairman.

• Extends the period an appointed board member may continue serving after term expiration from 60 to 90 days if no replacement is appointed, after which the county party chairman must make the appointment.

• Requires county chairman certification of political affiliation to be filed with the circuit court clerk by the time the appointee's oath of office is filed, or the appointment becomes void.