[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8574 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8574
To authorize the Secretary of State to provide funds for a United
States pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition
or world's fair, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 29, 2026
Ms. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
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A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of State to provide funds for a United
States pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition
or world's fair, 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 ``U.S. Participation in International
Expositions Act'' or the ``U.S. in Expos Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Since 1851, Expos have introduced global consumer
markets to United States culture, products, and technology,
showcasing innovations such as x-ray machines, typewriters,
touchscreens, the Ford Mustang, Disneyland, the Statue of
Liberty, electricity, and much more.
(2) These global mega-events have not only been platforms
to display architectural marvels and technological advancement
but have also served as opportunities for cultural exchange and
diplomatic engagement.
(3) The United States uses Expos to promote American
innovation, culture, and values, engaging global audiences and
demonstrating the benefits of democratic principles, including
free and fair trade and representative government.
(4) Expos facilitate people-to-people diplomacy while
showcasing the latest American innovations that can help
address global challenges and change the way we live.
(5) Expos are also competitive environments, where visible
American engagement sends a message to visitors about United
States leadership on the global stage.
(6) The Department of State is responsible for United
States participation in international exhibitions, managing
United States engagement with the Bureau of International
Expositions (BIE), organizing United States participation at
overseas Expos, and mobilizing international support for United
States candidacies to host Expos.
(7) The United States has hosted more than two dozen
world's fairs since its first in 1876 in Philadelphia.
(8) The last United States-hosted world's fair was ``The
World of Rivers: Fresh Water as a Source of Life'' in New
Orleans in 1984, which included 15 participating countries and
drew 7.355 million visitors.
(9) Beginning in 1994, a statutory restriction limited
Federal funding for United States presence at Expos.
(10) Until the 2025 Expo in Osaka, the United States was
the only G7 country that relies on private donations to
guarantee its presence at world expos, and the only country in
the world that relied entirely on private funding for the
creation of its pavilion.
(11) Sole reliance on private sector fundraising has caused
the United States to miss out on important opportunities,
including pulling out of the Hanover, Germany, Expo in 2000 and
turning down an invitation to the Zaragoza, Spain, Expo in
2008.
(12) Most recently, despite a two-year fundraising
campaign, the Department of State was unable to raise private
sector support for the United States Pavilion at Expo 2020
Dubai, and had to accept support from the United Arab Emirates,
the first time in history that a United States Pavilion at a
world's fair was funded by the host country.
(13) In recognition of delays, design compromise, and the
risk of not participating at all due to lack of Federal
funding, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2023, which authorized the use of up to $25 million to support
the United States pavilion at the 2025 Expo in Osaka, Japan--
the first authorization of its type.
(14) The United States pavilion at the 2025 Expo not only
highlighted American leadership in technology, space
exploration, tourism, and investment, but also proved to be the
most popular pavilion, welcoming tens of millions of global
visitors.
(15) The United States should consider such participation a
diplomatic priority and make the necessary investments to
continue to fund a United States Pavilion that best tells
America's story to the millions of world visitors attending
these mega-events.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL
EXPOSITIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg
Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001
(22 U.S.C. 2452b) is repealed.
(b) Notification.--
(1) In general.--Funds otherwise available to the
Department of State may be obligated for a United States
pavilion at an international fair or exposition abroad
registered by the Bureau of International Expositions only if
the appropriate congressional committees are notified not less
than 15 days prior to such obligation.
(2) Matters to be included.--Such notification shall
include the following:
(A) A description of the source of such funds,
including any funds reprogrammed or transferred by the
Department of State to be made available for such
pavilion.
(B) An estimate of the amount of investment such
pavilion could bring to the United States.
(C) A description of funds for the pavilion
expected to be provided from sources other than the
United States Government.
(D) A description of the means by which the
Department will require each entity receiving funds
from the Department under a contract, grant, or other
agreement to construct, maintain, or otherwise service
such pavilion to certify that such entity--
(i) is not in violation of the labor laws
of the host country, the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-213), and
any other applicable anti-corruption laws; and
(ii) does not employ, or otherwise utilize,
a victim of trafficking (as defined in section
103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)).
(c) Final Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which
such a United States pavilion is opened, the Secretary of State shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
includes--
(1) the number of United States businesses that
participated in such pavilion; and
(2) the dollar amount and source of any funds from other
sources obtained by the Department.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
(1) The Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) The Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
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