§ 17302 — Findings, declaration of policy and scope

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds as follows:

(1) The health, safety and general welfare of the people of this Commonwealth are directly dependent upon the continual encouragement, development, growth and expansion of business, industry, commerce and tourism within this Commonwealth.

(2) Unemployment, the spread of indigency and the heavy burden of public assistance and unemployment compensation can be avoided by the promotion, attraction, stimulation, development and expansion of business, industry, commerce and tourism in this Commonwealth.

(3) Development of convention centers is appropriate within the redevelopment assistance eligible area of a third class county and that the attraction of business to this Commonwealth as a result of the development is an important factor in the continual encouragement, promotion, attraction, stimulation, development, growth and expansion of business, industry, commerce and tourism within the county seat, the surrounding counties and this Commonwealth as a whole.

(4) The purpose of a convention center should be the promotion, attraction, stimulation, development and expansion of business, industry, commerce and tourism in the county seat, the surrounding counties and this Commonwealth as a whole.

(5) The development of a convention center will provide benefits to the hotel industry throughout the entire area of the county in which the convention center is developed.

(6) The development of a convention center will also provide benefits to the restaurant and entertainment industries throughout the entire county in which the convention center is located, to all other businesses and individuals benefited by the attraction of major conventions and tourists, to other individual businesses whose livelihood is dependent on major conventions and tourists and to the general public.

(7) The need for and promotion of the type of facility which will provide significant benefits to the general public will require the expenditure of public money, and it is appropriate to authorize a county to impose and collect a tax applicable within the entire territorial limits of the county to facilitate the development of a convention facility and the promotion of tourism within the county.

(8) To promote the development of convention centers within this Commonwealth, it is necessary to provide additional and flexible means of developing, constructing, designing, managing, financing and operating convention centers.

(9) An important aspect of the development of convention centers should be the removal and redevelopment of blighted areas.

(b) Declaration.--It is declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth to promote the health, safety, employment, business opportunities and general welfare of the people of this Commonwealth by providing for the creation of third class county convention center authorities, which shall exist and operate as public instrumentalities of the Commonwealth for the public purpose of promoting, attracting, stimulating, developing and expanding business, industry, commerce and tourism in this Commonwealth. This purpose is declared to be a public purpose supporting the enactment of all provisions of this subchapter for which public money may be spent and taxes may be imposed.

(c) Scope of subchapter.--

(1) This subchapter shall not apply to a county which has an existing convention center owned, leased or operated by an existing authority or the Commonwealth, which covers an area of more than 40,000 square feet.

(2) This subchapter shall not apply to a county which is served, together with one or more other counties, by a joint planning commission.

(3) No provision of this subchapter other than section 17323 (relating to hotel room rental tax) shall apply to an existing authority.