[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1753 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1753

   To require operators of Internet websites that provide access to 
international travel services and market overseas vacation destinations 
  to provide on such websites information to consumers regarding the 
  potential health and safety risks associated with traveling to such 
             vacation destinations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 20, 2011

Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. 
Kerry) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
       to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require operators of Internet websites that provide access to 
international travel services and market overseas vacation destinations 
  to provide on such websites information to consumers regarding the 
  potential health and safety risks associated with traveling to such 
             vacation destinations, 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 ``International Travelers Bill of 
Rights Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (2) Covered website operator.--The term ``covered website 
        operator'' means an individual or entity that operates an 
        Internet website that provides access to international travel 
        services. Such term includes an overseas vacation destination 
        or a third party that operates an Internet website that offers 
        international travel services.
            (3) International travel services.--The term 
        ``international travel services'' means a service that a 
        consumer can use to reserve lodging at an overseas vacation 
        destination.
            (4) Overseas vacation destination.--The term ``overseas 
        vacation destination'' means a resort, hotel, retreat, hostel, 
        or any other similar lodging located outside the United States.
            (5) United states.--The term ``United States'' means each 
        of the several States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
        Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 3. PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 
              RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERSEAS VACATION DESTINATIONS.

    (a) In General.--A covered website operator shall provide to 
consumers information on the Internet website of the covered website 
operator, in a manner the website operator considers appropriate, 
regarding the potential health and safety risks associated with 
overseas vacation destinations marketed on such website, if any, 
including the following:
            (1) Information compiled by the Department of State, 
        including Department of State country-specific travel warnings 
        and alerts.
            (2) Information regarding the onsite health and safety 
        services that are available to consumers at each overseas 
        vacation destination, including whether the destination--
                    (A) employs or contracts with a physician or nurse 
                on the premises to provide medical treatment for 
                guests;
                    (B) employs or contracts with personnel, other than 
                a physician, nurse, or lifeguard, on the premises who 
                are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
                    (C) has an automated external defibrillator and 
                employs or contracts with 1 or more individuals on the 
                premises trained in its use; and
                    (D) employs or contracts with 1 or more lifeguards 
                on the premises trained in cardiopulmonary 
                resuscitation, if the overseas vacation destination has 
                swimming pools or other water-based activities on its 
                premises, or in areas under its control for use by 
                guests.
    (b) Services Not Available 24 Hours a Day.--If the onsite health 
and safety services described in subsection (a)(2) are not available 24 
hours a day, 7 days a week, a covered website operator who provides 
information about such services under subsection (a) shall display the 
hours and days of availability on its Internet website in a manner the 
covered website operator considers appropriate.
    (c) Minimum Requirement for Obtaining Information.--If a covered 
website operator does not possess, with respect to an overseas vacation 
destination, information about the onsite health and safety services 
required to be displayed on its Internet website under subsection (a), 
the covered website operator shall, at a minimum, request such 
information from such destination.
    (d) Information Not Available.--If onsite health and safety 
services described in subsection (a)(2) are not available at an 
overseas vacation destination, or if a covered website operator does 
not possess information about the onsite health and safety services 
required to be displayed on its Internet website under subsection (a), 
the covered website operator shall display on the Internet website of 
the website operator, in a manner the website operator considers 
appropriate, the following: ``This destination does not provide certain 
health and safety services, or information regarding such services is 
not available.''.
    (e) Immunity.--A covered website provider shall not be liable in a 
civil action in a Federal or State court relating to inaccurate or 
incomplete information published under subsection (a) regarding an 
overseas vacation destination that is not owned or operated by the 
covered website provider if--
            (1) such information was provided by the overseas vacation 
        destination; and
            (2) the covered website provider published such information 
        without knowledge that such information was inaccurate or 
        incomplete, as the case may be.

SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

    (a) Unfair or Deceptive Acts of Practices.--A violation of this Act 
shall be treated as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or 
deceptive act or practice prescribed under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the 
Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)).
    (b) Powers of Commission.--The Commission shall enforce this Act in 
the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 
powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions of the 
Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated 
into and made a part of this Act.
    (c) Deadline for Issuance of Regulations.--The Commission shall 
prescribe regulations to carry out this Act not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF STATE RECORDS OF OVERSEAS DEATHS OF UNITED STATES 
              CITIZENS FROM NONNATURAL CAUSES.

    (a) Increased Granularity of Data Collected.--Subsection (a) of 
section 57 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 
U.S.C. 2729) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(2) The location of where the death occurred, including 
        the address of the location, the name of the property where the 
        death occurred, and the state or province and municipality of 
        such location, if available.''.
    (b) Increased Frequency of Publication.--Subsection (c) of such 
section is amended by striking ``at least every six months'' and 
inserting ``not less frequently than once each month''.
    (c) Monthly Reports to Congress.--Such section is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(d) Reports to Congress.--Each time the Secretary updates the 
information made available under subsection (c), the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report containing such information.''.
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