[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1579 Referred in House (RFH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1579
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 26, 2016
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the
Committees on Energy and Commerce, and House Administration, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To enhance and integrate Native American tourism, empower Native
American communities, increase coordination and collaboration between
Federal tourism assets, and expand heritage and cultural tourism
opportunities in the United States.
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 ``Native American Tourism and
Improving Visitor Experience Act'' or the ``NATIVE Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to enhance and integrate Native American tourism--
(A) to empower Native American communities; and
(B) to advance the National Travel and Tourism
Strategy;
(2) to increase coordination and collaboration between
Federal tourism assets to support Native American tourism and
bolster recreational travel and tourism;
(3) to expand heritage and cultural tourism opportunities
in the United States to spur economic development, create jobs,
and increase tourism revenues;
(4) to enhance and improve self-determination and self-
governance capabilities in the Native American community and to
promote greater self-sufficiency;
(5) to encourage Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and
Native Hawaiian organizations to engage more fully in Native
American tourism activities to increase visitation to rural and
remote areas in the United States that are too difficult to
access or are unknown to domestic travelers and international
tourists;
(6) to provide grants, loans, and technical assistance to
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian
organizations that will--
(A) spur important infrastructure development;
(B) increase tourism capacity; and
(C) elevate living standards in Native American
communities; and
(7) to support the development of technologically
innovative projects that will incorporate recreational travel
and tourism information and data from Federal assets to improve
the visitor experience.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(3) Native hawaiian organization.--The term ``Native
Hawaiian organization'' means a nonprofit organization--
(A) that serves the interests of Native Hawaiians;
(B) in which Native Hawaiians serve in substantive
and policymaking positions; and
(C) that is recognized for having expertise in
Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including
tourism.
(4) Tribal organization.--The term ``tribal organization''
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
SEC. 4. INTEGRATING FEDERAL TOURISM ASSETS TO STRENGTHEN NATIVE TOURISM
OPPORTUNITIES.
(a) Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior.--The
Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior shall update
the respective management plans and tourism initiatives of the
Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior to include
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(b) Other Agencies.--The head of each agency that has recreational
travel or tourism functions or complementary programs shall update the
respective management plans and tourism strategies of the agency to
include Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian
organizations.
(c) Native American Tourism Plans.--
(1) In general.--The plans shall outline policy proposals--
(A) to improve travel and tourism data collection
and analysis;
(B) to increase the integration, alignment, and
utility of public records, publications, and Web sites
maintained by Federal agencies;
(C) to create a better user experience for domestic
travelers and international visitors;
(D) to align Federal agency Web sites and
publications;
(E) to support national tourism goals;
(F) to identify agency programs that could be used
to support tourism capacity building and help sustain
tourism infrastructure in Native American communities;
(G) to develop innovative visitor portals for
parks, landmarks, heritage and cultural sites, and
assets that showcase and respect the diversity of the
indigenous peoples of the United States;
(H) to share local Native American heritage through
the development of bilingual interpretive and
directional signage that could include or incorporate
English and the local Native American language or
languages; and
(I) to improve access to transportation programs
related to Native American community capacity building
for tourism and trade, including transportation
planning for programs related to visitor enhancement
and safety.
(2) Consultation with indian tribes and native americans.--
In developing the plan under paragraph (1), the head of each
agency shall consult with Indian tribes and the Native American
community to identify appropriate levels of inclusion of the
Indian tribes and Native Americans in Federal tourism
activities, public records and publications, including Native
American tourism information available on Web sites.
(d) Technical Assistance.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall enter into a
memorandum of understanding or cooperative agreement with an
entity or organization with a demonstrated record in tribal
communities of defining, introducing, developing, and
sustaining American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian
tourism and related activities in a manner that respects and
honors native traditions and values.
(2) Coordination.--The memorandum of understanding or
cooperative agreement described in paragraph (1) shall
formalize a role for the organization or entity to serve as a
facilitator between the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Commerce and the Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations--
(A) to identify areas where technical assistance is
needed through consultations with Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to
empower the Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and
Native Hawaiian organizations to participate fully in
the tourism industry; and
(B) to provide a means for the delivery of
technical assistance and coordinate the delivery of the
assistance to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and
Native Hawaiian organizations in collaboration with the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce,
and other entities with distinctive experience, as
appropriate.
(3) Funding.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the head of each Federal agency, including the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the
Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of
Labor shall obligate any funds made available to the head of
the agency to cover any administrative expenses incurred by the
organization or entity described in paragraph (1) in carrying
out programs or activities of the agency.
(4) Metrics.--The Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Commerce shall coordinate with the organization or
entity described in paragraph (1) to develop metrics to measure
the effectiveness of the entity or organization in
strengthening tourism opportunities for Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(e) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and occasionally thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Commerce shall each submit to the Committee on
Indian Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives a report that describes--
(1) the manner in which the Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Commerce, as applicable, is including Indian
tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations
in management plans;
(2) the efforts of the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Commerce, as applicable, to develop departmental
and agency tourism plans to support tourism programs of Indian
tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian
organizations;
(3) the manner in which the entity or organization
described in subsection (d)(1) is working to promote tourism to
empower Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native
Hawaiian organizations to participate fully in the tourism
industry; and
(4) the effectiveness of the entity or organization
described in subsection (d)(1) based on the metrics developed
under subsection (d)(4).
SEC. 5. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM AND BRANDING ENHANCEMENT.
(a) In General.--The head of each agency shall--
(1) take actions that help empower Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to showcase
the heritage, foods, traditions, history, and continuing
vitality of Native American communities;
(2) support the efforts of Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations--
(A) to identify and enhance or maintain traditions
and cultural features that are important to sustain the
distinctiveness of the local Native American community;
and
(B) to provide visitor experiences that are
authentic and respectful;
(3) provide assistance to interpret the connections between
the indigenous peoples of the United States and the national
identity of the United States;
(4) enhance efforts to promote understanding and respect
for diverse cultures and subcultures in the United States and
the relevance of those cultures to the national brand of the
United States; and
(5) enter into appropriate memoranda of understanding and
establish public-private partnerships to ensure that arriving
domestic travelers at airports and arriving international
visitors at ports of entry are welcomed in a manner that both
showcases and respects the diversity of Native American
communities.
(b) Grants.--To the extent practicable, grant programs relating to
travel, recreation, or tourism administered by the Commissioner of the
Administration for Native Americans, Chairman of the National Endowment
for the Arts, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, or
the head of an agency with assets or resources relating to travel,
recreation, or tourism promotion or branding enhancement for which
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or Native Hawaiian organizations
are eligible may be used--
(1) to support the efforts of Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to tell the
story of Native Americans as the First Peoples of the United
States;
(2) to use the arts and humanities to help revitalize
Native communities, promote economic development, increase
livability, and present the uniqueness of the United States to
visitors in a way that celebrates the diversity of the United
States; and
(3) to carry out this section.
(c) Smithsonian.--The Advisory Council and the Board of Regents of
the Smithsonian Institution shall work with Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and nonprofit
organizations to establish long-term partnerships with non-Smithsonian
museums and educational and cultural organizations--
(1) to share collections, exhibitions, interpretive
materials, and educational strategies; and
(2) to conduct joint research and collaborative projects
that would support tourism efforts for Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations and carry out
the intent of this section.
SEC. 6. EFFECT.
Nothing in this Act alters, or demonstrates congressional support
for the alteration of, the legal relationship between the United States
and any American Indian,
Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian individual, group, organization, or
entity.
Passed the Senate April 25, 2016.
Attest:
JULIE E. ADAMS,
Secretary.