[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6144-S6145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
APEC BUSINESS TRAVEL CARDS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar 190, S. 504.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). The clerk will report the bill by
title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 504) to permanently authorize the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card Program.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Hirono
substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; that the
bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and that the motion
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no
intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 1104) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to,
as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION BUSINESS TRAVEL
CARDS.
(a) In General.--Subtitle B of title IV of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211 et seq.) is amended by
inserting after section 417 the following:
``SEC. 418. ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION BUSINESS TRAVEL
CARDS.
``(a) In General.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection is authorized to issue an Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card (referred to in
this section as an `ABT Card') to any individual described in
subsection (b).
``(b) Card Issuance.--An individual described in this
subsection is an individual who--
``(1) is a citizen of the United States;
``(2) has been approved and is in good standing in an
existing international trusted traveler program of the
Department; and
``(3) is--
``(A) engaged in business in the Asia-Pacific region, as
determined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection; or
``(B) a United States Government official actively engaged
in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation business, as determined
by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
``(c) Integration With Existing Travel Programs.--The
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall
integrate application procedures for, and issuance, renewal,
and revocation of, ABT Cards with existing international
trusted traveler programs of the Department.
``(d) Cooperation With Private Entities and Nongovernmental
Organizations.--In carrying out this section, the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may
consult with appropriate private sector entities and
nongovernmental organizations, including academic
institutions.
``(e) Fee.--
``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall--
``(A) prescribe and collect a fee for the issuance and
renewal of ABT Cards; and
``(B) adjust such fee to the extent the Commissioner
determines necessary to comply with paragraph (2).
``(2) Limitation.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall ensure that the total amount of the
fees collected under paragraph (1) during any fiscal year is
sufficient to offset the direct and indirect costs associated
with carrying out this section during such fiscal year,
including the costs associated with operating and maintaining
the ABT Card issuance and renewal processes.
``(3) Account for collections.--There is established in the
Treasury of the United States an `Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Business Travel Card Account' into which the fees
collected under paragraph (1) shall be deposited as
offsetting receipts.
``(4) Use of funds.--Amounts deposited into the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card Account
established under paragraph (3) shall--
``(A) be credited to the appropriate account of the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection for expenses incurred in
carrying out this section; and
``(B) remain available until expended.
``(f) Notification.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall notify the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate not
later
[[Page S6145]]
than 60 days after the expenditures of funds to operate and
provide ABT Card services beyond the amounts collected under
subsection (e)(1).
``(g) Trusted Traveler Program Defined.--In this section,
the term `trusted traveler program' means a voluntary program
of the Department that allows U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to expedite clearance of pre-approved, low-risk
travelers arriving in the United States.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 417 the
following new item:
``Sec. 418. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards.''.
SEC. 3. ACCOUNT.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the repeal of the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of
2011 (Public Law 112-54; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note) pursuant to
section 4(b)(1), amounts deposited into the APEC Business
Travel Card Account established pursuant to such Act as of
the date of the enactment of this Act are hereby transferred
to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card
Account established pursuant to section 418(e) of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by section 2(a) of
this Act), and shall be available without regard to whether
such amounts are expended in connection with expenses
incurred with respect to an ABT Card issued at any time
before or after such date of enactment.
(b) Availability.--Amounts deposited in the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card Account established
pursuant to section 418(e) of the Homeland Security Act of
2002, in addition to the purposes for which such amounts are
available pursuant to such subsection, shall also be
available for expenditure in connection with expenses
incurred with respect to ABT Cards issued at any time before
the date of the enactment of such section.
(c) Termination.--After the completion of the transfer
described in subsection (a), the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Business Travel Card Account established pursuant
to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel
Cards Act of 2011 shall be closed.
SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS AND REPEAL.
(a) Conforming Amendments.--Section 411(c) of section 411
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(c)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (17), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (18) as paragraph (19); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (17) the following:
``(18) carry out section 418, relating to the issuance of
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards;
and''.
(b) Repeal.--
(1) In general.--The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Business Travel Cards Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-54; 8
U.S.C. 1185 note) is repealed.
(2) Saving clause.--Notwithstanding the repeal under
paragraph (1), an ABT Card issued pursuant to the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of
2011 before the date of the enactment of this Act that, as of
such date, is still valid, shall remain valid on and after
such date until such time as such Card would otherwise
expire.
The bill (S. 504), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
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