Washington, DC – Today, Representative Dina Titus (NV-01), Chair of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee, introduced the Economic Development Promotion and Resiliency Act. This legislation promotes economic development, including in Nevada’s vital travel and tourism industries, by establishing a grant program for communities that have experienced employment and GDP losses in the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors.

“At the height of the pandemic, Southern Nevadans struggled to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads,” said Rep. Titus. “Due to the decline in travel and tourism, we had the highest unemployment rate of any large metro area in the United States, and we are still recovering from these economic losses.  My legislation will provide critical assistance to Las Vegas in revitalizing this key creator of jobs and economic growth in Southern Nevada and across our country.”

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Nevada reached 33% unemployment due to the region’s strong ties to travel and tourism. Through the American Rescue Plan, Chair Titus helped secure $750 million in funding to the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for states and communities disproportionately impacted by declines in these industries.

Background

The Economic Development Promotion and Resiliency Act would:

• Develop a “Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Stabilization (TTORS) Grant” program to spur economic development in communities that have experienced employment and GDP losses in the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors. This program will be authorized at $100 million annually and will be eligible to destination marketing organizations.
• Create a Capacity Building Pilot Program to assist communities in hiring professionals to assist with predevelopment activities and grant applications.
• Provide States with additional time to deploy COVID-19 relief funding.

Find a Section-by-Section summary of the bill here.