[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3097 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3097

      To establish the SelectUSA program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2016

    Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Heller, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Coons) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To establish the SelectUSA program, 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 ``SelectUSA Authorization Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SELECTUSA.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of Commerce 
the SelectUSA program (in this Act referred to as ``SelectUSA''), a 
Government-wide program to attract and retain investment in the United 
States economy.
    (b) Executive Director.--The Secretary of Commerce shall designate 
a senior staff member of the Department of Commerce to be the Executive 
Director of SelectUSA, who shall coordinate activities relating to 
business investment decisions within the Department of Commerce and 
with other Federal agencies with responsibility for such activities.
    (c) Mission.--SelectUSA shall--
            (1) facilitate business investment in the United States in 
        order to create jobs, spur economic growth, and promote United 
        States competitiveness;
            (2) provide enhanced coordination of Federal activities in 
        order to increase the impact of Federal resources that support 
        domestic and foreign investment in the United States;
            (3) in providing assistance, work to maximize impact on 
        business investment, job creation, and economic growth; and
            (4) work on behalf of the entire United States and exercise 
        strict neutrality, except as specified in subsection (e), with 
        regard to specific locations within the United States.
    (d) Functions.--SelectUSA shall--
            (1) coordinate outreach and engagement by the Federal 
        Government to promote the United States as the premier location 
        to operate a business;
            (2) endeavor to coordinate and avoid duplication with other 
        Federal agencies;
            (3) serve as an ombudsman that facilitates the resolution 
        of issues involving Federal programs or activities related to 
        pending investments;
            (4) provide information to domestic and foreign firms on--
                    (A) the investment climate in the United States;
                    (B) Federal programs and incentives available to 
                investors; and
                    (C) State and local economic development 
                organizations; and
            (5) report periodically to the President, through the 
        National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, and the 
        National Security Staff, on outreach activities of SelectUSA, 
        requests for information received by SelectUSA, and efforts of 
        SelectUSA to resolve issues.
    (e) Increased Opportunities for Rural Areas and Smaller States.--
SelectUSA shall endeavor--
            (1) to increase foreign direct investment opportunities for 
        rural areas and smaller States; and
            (2) to make its services increasingly available to rural 
        areas and smaller States, including through--
                    (A) teleconferencing;
                    (B) geographic positioning of conferences and 
                events of SelectUSA, when practicable; and
                    (C) increased attention by staff of SelectUSA.
    (f) Participation of Other Agencies.--All Federal agencies with 
responsibility for activities relating to business investment decisions 
shall cooperate with SelectUSA, as requested by the Executive Director, 
to support the objectives of SelectUSA.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY INVESTMENT WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Federal Interagency 
Investment Working Group (in this section referred to as the ``Working 
Group''), which shall be convened and chaired by the Executive Director 
of SelectUSA, in coordination with the Director of the National 
Economic Council.
    (b) Membership.--The Working Group shall consist of senior 
officials from--
            (1) agencies represented on the Trade Promotion 
        Coordinating Committee established by section 2312 of the 
        Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727); and
            (2) such other agencies as the Secretary of Commerce may 
        designate.
    (c) Functions.--The Working Group shall coordinate activities to 
promote business investment and respond to specific issues that affect 
business investment decisions.

SEC. 4. REPORTS AND NOTIFICATIONS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than December 31 of each year, the 
Secretary of Commerce shall submit to Congress a report on the 
activities of SelectUSA during the preceding fiscal year.
    (b) Contents.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall 
include, for the period covered by the report, the following:
            (1) A description of the outreach activities of SelectUSA.
            (2) A statement of the funds used by SelectUSA.
            (3) An assessment of the number of foreign firms that 
        located in the United States using the services provided by 
        SelectUSA, including the economic effect of such locations for 
        the United States, and an assessment of related services 
        provided by SelectUSA to State, local, regional, and tribal 
        economic development organizations and international investors.
            (4) A description of the progress made by the United States 
        in increasing its share of foreign direct investment from the 
        Asia and Pacific regions.
            (5) A description of the efforts of SelectUSA in promoting 
        foreign direct investment in rural areas or smaller States.
            (6) A description of the efforts of SelectUSA in 
        coordinating with other Federal agencies, including the United 
        States and Foreign Commercial Service established under section 
        2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721), 
        the Department of State, and the Foreign Agricultural Service 
        of the Department of Agriculture.
            (7) Any findings that are made by SelectUSA in conducting 
        its activities and are relevant to promoting the United States 
        as a destination for foreign direct investment.

SEC. 5. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF 
              SELECTUSA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to Congress a report assessing the effectiveness of 
SelectUSA in increasing, encouraging, and supporting foreign direct 
investment in the United States.
    (b) Recommendations.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include recommendations for ways SelectUSA may--
            (1) increase foreign direct investment in the United 
        States;
            (2) better coordinate with other Federal agencies and other 
        entities;
            (3) better serve rural areas and smaller States, including 
        by tailoring activities to those areas and States;
            (4) increase foreign direct investment in those areas and 
        States; and
            (5) more effectively use its resources.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR SELECTUSA.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out SelectUSA such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year 
thereafter.
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