[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4041 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4041

  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

                           February 15, 2012

  Mr. Berman (for himself 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 ``Export Promotion Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. 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. 3. 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 representative 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 Export Promotion Reform Act, 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. 4. 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''.
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