[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1570 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1570

 To authorize appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce to establish 
  public-private partnerships under the Market Development Cooperator 
   Program of the International Trade Administration, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2015

  Mr. Schatz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce to establish 
  public-private partnerships under the Market Development Cooperator 
   Program of the International Trade Administration, 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 Export Promotion Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE MARKET DEVELOPMENT COOPERATOR 
              PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Commerce, for the 18-month period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, $8,000,000 for the Industry and Analysis 
unit of the International Trade Administration--
            (1) to establish public-private partnerships under the 
        Market Development Cooperator Program of the International 
        Trade Administration; and
            (2) to underwrite a portion of the start-up costs for new 
        projects carried out under that Program to strengthen the 
        competitiveness and market share of United States industry, not 
        to exceed, for each such project, the lesser of--
                    (A) \1/2\ of the total start-up costs for the 
                project; or
                    (B) $500,000.
    (b) Requirements.--In obligating and expending the funds 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Commerce 
shall give preference to activities that the Secretary determines 
will--
            (1) assist small- and medium-sized businesses in the United 
        States; and
            (2)(A) create or sustain the greatest number of jobs in the 
        United States;
            (B) obtain the maximum return on investment;
            (C) increase United States exports to the Asia and Pacific 
        region;
            (D) increase United States exports in services; or
            (E) address export priorities set by the Department of 
        Commerce.
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