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H.R. 6965 — what changed

Visit America Act

From Reported in House to Engrossed in House. 3 sections amended between Reported in House and Engrossed in House.

Sec. 3 Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism

(a)
Visitation goals— The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism (referred to in this section as the “Assistant Secretary”), appointed pursuant to section 2(d) of the Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1979, as amended by section 2, shall—
(1)
changed in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, establish an annual visitation goal, consistent with the goals of the travel and tourism strategy developed pursuant to section 4(1), for—
(A)
the number of international visitors to the United States; and
(B)
the value of travel and tourism commerce;
(2)
develop recommendations for achieving the annual goals established pursuant to paragraph (1);
(3)
ensure that travel and tourism policy is developed in consultation with—
(A)
the Tourism Policy Council;
(B)
added the Secretary of State;
(C)
renumbered was (2)(5)(3) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(D)
renumbered was (2)(5)(4) the National Travel and Tourism Office;
(E)
renumbered was (2)(5)(5) Brand USA;
(F)
renumbered was (2)(5)(6) the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; and
(G)
renumbered was (2)(5)(7) travel industry partners, including public and private destination marketing organizations, travel and tourism suppliers, and labor representatives from these industries;
(4)
establish short-, medium-, and long-term timelines for implementing the recommendations developed pursuant to paragraph (2);
(5)
changed conduct Federal agency needs assessments, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, Budget and other relevant Federal agencies, to identify the resources, statutory or regulatory changes, and private sector engagement needed to achieve the annual visitation goals; and
(6)
provide assessments and recommendations to—
(A)
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
(B)
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and
(C)
the public through a publicly accessible website.
(b)
removed Visa adjudication— The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall—
(1)
removed explore strategies for improving visitor visa processing with respect to—
(A)
removed the maximum time for processing visas, by visitation type;
(B)
removed regulatory and policy changes needed to meet the visa processing goals referred to in subparagraph (A), including changes regarding technology, processing centers, and training; and
(C)
removed streamlining visa applications and adjudications, including application design and data collection procedures; and
(2)
removed explore opportunities to establish pilot programs to integrate technology into the visitor visa adjudication process, including video conferencing and biometrics.
(b)
renumbered was (4) Domestic travel and tourism— The Assistant Secretary, to the extent feasible, shall—
(1)
renumbered was (4)(3) evaluate, on an ongoing basis, domestic policy options for supporting competitiveness with respect to the strengths, weaknesses, and growth of the domestic travel industry;
(2)
renumbered was (4)(4) develop recommendations and goals to support and enhance domestic tourism, separated by business and leisure; and
(3)
renumbered was (4)(5) engage public and private stakeholders to support domestic tourism.
(c)
renumbered was (5) Workforce— The Assistant Secretary shall—
(1)
renumbered was (5)(3) consult with the Secretary of Labor to develop strategies and best practices for improving the timeliness and reliability of travel and tourism workforce data;
(2)
renumbered was (5)(4) work with the Secretary of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to improve travel and tourism industry data; and
(3)
renumbered was (5)(5) provide recommendations for policy enhancements and efficiencies.
(d)
renumbered was (6) International business travel facilitation— The Assistant Secretary, in coordination with relevant Federal agencies, shall work to increase and facilitate international business travel to the United States and ensure competitiveness by engaging in, at a minimum—
(1)
renumbered was (6)(3) facilitating large meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions to be hosted in the United States;
(2)
renumbered was (6)(4) emphasizing rural and other destinations rich in cultural heritage or ecological tourism, among other uniquely American destinations, as locations for hosting international meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions in the United States; and
(3)
renumbered was (6)(5) facilitating sports and recreation events and activities, which shall be hosted in the United States.
(e)
added Recovery strategy—
(f)
removed Recovery strategy—
(1)
renumbered was (7)(2) Initial recovery strategy— Not later than 1 year after amounts are appropriated to accomplish the purposes of this section, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with public and private stakeholders identified in subsection (a)(3) and public health officials, shall develop and implement a COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy to assist the United States travel and tourism industry to quickly recover from the pandemic.
(2)
renumbered was (7)(3) Future recovery strategies— After assisting in the implementation of the strategy developed pursuant to paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with appropriate public and private stakeholders, shall develop additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism industry in anticipation of other unforeseen catastrophic events that would significantly affect the travel and tourism industry, such as hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, terrorist attacks, and pandemics.
(3)
renumbered was (7)(4) Cost-benefit analysis— In developing the COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy under paragraph (1) and additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism industry under paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary shall conduct cost-benefit analyses that take into account the health and economic effects of public health mitigation measures on the travel and tourism industry.
(f)
added Reporting requirements—
(g)
removed Reporting requirements—
(1)
renumbered was (8)(2) Assistant secretary— The Assistant Secretary shall produce an annual forecasting report on the travel and tourism industry, to the extent feasible, which shall include current and anticipated—
(A)
renumbered was (8)(2)(3) domestic employment needs;
(B)
added international inbound volume and spending, taking into account the lasting effects of the COVID–19 public health emergency and the impact of the recovery strategy implemented pursuant to subsection (e)(1); and
(B)
removed international inbound volume and spending, taking into account the lasting effects of the COVID–19 public health emergency and the impact of the recovery strategy implemented pursuant to subsection (f)(1); and
(C)
renumbered was (8)(2)(5) domestic volume and spending, including Federal and State public land travel and tourism data.
(2)
renumbered was (8)(3) Bureau of economic analysis— The Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis should annually update, to the extent feasible, the Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts, including—
(A)
renumbered was (8)(3)(3) State level travel and tourism spending data;
(B)
renumbered was (8)(3)(4) travel and tourism workforce data for full-time and part-time employment; and
(C)
renumbered was (8)(3)(5) Federal and State public lands outdoor recreational activity and tourism spending data.
(3)
renumbered was (8)(4) National travel and tourism office— The Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office—
(A)
added in partnership with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and other relevant Federal agencies, shall report international arrival and spending data on a regular monthly schedule, which shall be made available to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and to the public through a publicly available website; and
(A)
removed in partnership with the Bureau of Economic Analysis, shall report international arrival and spending data on a regular monthly schedule, which shall be made available to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and to the public through a publicly available website; and
(B)
renumbered was (8)(4)(4) shall include questions in the Survey of International Air Travelers regarding wait-times, visits to public lands, and State data, to the extent applicable.

Sec. 4 Travel and tourism strategy

changed Not less frequently than once every 10 years, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, the Tourism Policy Council, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall develop and submit to Congress a 10-year travel and tourism strategy, which shall include—

(1)
the establishment of goals with respect to the number of annual international visitors to the United States and the annual value of travel and tourism commerce in the United States during such 10-year period;
(2)
the resources needed to achieve the goals established pursuant to paragraph (1); and
(3)
recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes that would be necessary to achieve such goals.

Sec. 5 United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

Section 3 of the Act of July 19, 1940, entitled “An Act to encourage travel in the United States, and for other purposes” (15 U.S.C. 1546) is amended—

(1)
changed by striking “Sec. 3.” 3” and all that follows through “The Secretary of the Interior is authorized” and inserting the following:

“3. United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; Advisory committee

“(a) United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

“(1) In general—There is established the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (referred to in this subsection as the “Board”), the members of which shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce for 2-year terms from among companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry.

“(2) Executive director—The Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism shall serve as the Executive Director of the Board.

“(3) Executive secretariat—The Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office of the International Trade Administration shall serve as the Executive Secretariat for the Board.

“(4) Functions—The Board’s Charter shall specify that the Board will—

“(A) serve as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States;

“(B) advise the Secretary of Commerce on Government policies and programs that affect the United States travel and tourism industry;

“(C) offer counsel on current and emerging issues;

“(D) provide a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to problems related to the travel and tourism industry; and

“(E) provide advice regarding the domestic travel and tourism industry as an economic engine.

changed “(5) Recovery strategy—The Board shall assist the Assistant Secretary in the development and implementation of the COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy required under section 3(f)(1) 3(e)(1) of the Visit America Act.

“(b) Advisory committee for promotion of tourist travel—The Secretary of Commerce is authorized”

(2)
by striking “the Secretary of the Interior to serve” and inserting “the Secretary of Commerce to serve”.