[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6231 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6231

  To amend the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to further enhance the 
promotion of exports of United States goods and services, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2010

 Ms. Giffords (for herself and Mr. Manzullo) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to further enhance the 
promotion of exports of United States goods and services, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Jobs Through Exports Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) increased exports are essential to renewed and 
        sustained economic growth in the United States and increased 
        employment of American workers;
            (2) all major trading nations conduct export promotion 
        activities on behalf of their nations' exporters, with some 
        activities that are more effective than United States programs, 
        according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO);
            (3) increased United States exports and jobs can be 
        achieved through more effective use of existing resources, 
        rather than additional funds or personnel for existing 
        programs;
            (4) the Congress appropriates in excess of $1,300,000,000 
        each year for export promotion programs to 18 Federal agencies;
            (5) repeated GAO reports indicate that export promotion 
        programs would be more effective with improved coordination, 
        elimination of duplicative activities, and better allocation of 
        resources;
            (6) Congress established the Trade Promotion Coordinating 
        Committee (TPCC) in 1992 to coordinate export promotion 
        programs, but repeated GAO assessments are that the TPCC would 
        be more effective with greater authority over budgetary 
        allocations and program functions; and
            (7) increased United States exports require a coordinated 
        effort by United States diplomats and export promotion 
        officials to identify and overcome obstacles caused by foreign 
        government policies, laws, and practices.

SEC. 3. IMPROVED COORDINATION EXPORT PROMOTION ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL 
              AGENCIES.

    Section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (relating to the 
Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee; 15 U.S.C. 4727) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph 
                (7); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) in making the assessments under paragraph (5), review 
        the proposed annual budget of each agency described in 
        paragraph (5) before the agency submits that budget to the 
        Office of Management and Budget and the President for inclusion 
        in the budget of the United States submitted to Congress under 
        section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code; and'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (6) as 
                paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) in conducting the review and developing the plan 
        under paragraph (2), take into account recommendations from a 
        representative number of United States exporters, in particular 
        small businesses and medium-sized businesses, and 
        representatives of United States workers;''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Executive Order and Regulations.--The President shall issue 
an executive order and such regulations as are necessary to provide the 
chairperson of the TPCC with the authority to ensure that the TPCC 
carries out each of its duties under subsection (b) and develops and 
implements the strategic plan under subsection (c).
    ``(h) Definition.--In this section, the term `small business' means 
a small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE RESOURCES.

    Section 2301(c)(4) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (relating 
to the United States and Foreign Commercial Service; 15 U.S.C. 
4721(c)(4)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F) as 
        subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively;
            (2) by striking ``(4) Foreign offices.--(A) The Secretary 
        may'' and inserting the following:
            ``(4) Foreign offices.--(A)(i) The Secretary shall conduct 
        a global assessment of overseas markets to determine those with 
        the greatest potential for increasing United States exports, 
        and to redeploy the Commercial Service personnel and other 
        resources on the basis of the global assessment.
            ``(ii) The assessment conducted under clause (i) shall take 
        into account recommendations from a represented number of 
        United States exporters, in particular small- and medium-sized 
        businesses, and representatives of United States workers.
            ``(iii) Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
        of the American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2010, the Secretary 
        shall submit to Congress results of the global assessment 
        conducted under clause (i) and a plan for redeployment of 
        Commercial Service personnel and other resources on the basis 
        of the global assessment.
            ``(iv) The Secretary shall conduct an assessment and 
        redeployment described in clause (i) not less than once in 
        every 5-year period.
            ``(B) The Secretary may''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (F), as redesignated, by striking ``is 
        authorized, upon the request of the Secretary, to provide'' and 
        inserting ``shall, upon the request of the Secretary, 
        provide''.

SEC. 5. STRENGTHENED U.S. COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IN SUPPORT OF U.S. 
              EXPORTS.

    (a) Development of Plan.--Section 207(c) of the Foreign Service Act 
of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3927(c)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``, including through the development of a plan, 
        drafted in consultation with the ambassador to such country, 
        the Director General of the United States and Foreign 
        Commercial Service, and the heads of other Federal departments 
        and agencies with export promotion programs acting through the 
        Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, for effective diplomacy 
        to remove or reduce obstacles to exports of United States goods 
        and services''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``The 
        chief of mission shall, prior to implementation of the plan 
        required under this subsection, submit to the Secretary such 
        plan for review by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Assessments and Promotions.--Section 603(a) of the Foreign 
Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4003(a)) is amended, in the second 
sentence, by inserting before ``and (with respect to'' the following: 
``assessments (with respect to members of the Service with 
responsibilities relating to economic affairs) of the effectiveness of 
efforts to promote the export of United States goods and services in 
accordance with a commercial diplomacy plan developed pursuant to 
section 207(c),''.
    (c) Inspector General.--Section 209(b) of the Foreign Service Act 
of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3929(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(5) the effectiveness of commercial diplomacy relating to 
        the promotion of exports of United States goods and services; 
        and''.
                                 <all>