[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8155-H8157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                           VISIT AMERICA ACT

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6965) to promote travel and tourism in the United States, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6965

       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 ``Visit America Act''.

     SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TRAVEL AND TOURISM.

       Section 2(d) of the Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1979 
     (93 Stat. 1382; 5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``There shall be in the Department two 
     additional Assistant Secretaries'' and inserting ``(1) There 
     shall be in the Department 3 additional Assistant 
     Secretaries, including the Assistant Secretary of Commerce 
     for Travel and Tourism,''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and 
     Tourism shall--
       ``(A) be appointed by the President, subject to the advice 
     and consent of the Senate; and
       ``(B) report directly to the Under Secretary for 
     International Trade.''.

     SEC. 3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF 
                   COMMERCE FOR TRAVEL AND TOURISM.

       (a) Visitation Goals.--The Assistant Secretary of Commerce 
     for Travel and Tourism (referred to in this section as the 
     ``Assistant Secretary''), appointed pursuant to section 2(d) 
     of the Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1979, as amended by 
     section 2, shall--
       (1) in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, 
     establish an annual visitation goal, consistent with the 
     goals of the travel and tourism strategy developed pursuant 
     to section 4(1), for--
       (A) the number of international visitors to the United 
     States; and
       (B) the value of travel and tourism commerce;
       (2) develop recommendations for achieving the annual goals 
     established pursuant to paragraph (1);
       (3) ensure that travel and tourism policy is developed in 
     consultation with--
       (A) the Tourism Policy Council;
       (B) the Secretary of State;
       (C) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
       (D) the National Travel and Tourism Office;
       (E) Brand USA;
       (F) the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; 
     and
       (G) travel industry partners, including public and private 
     destination marketing organizations, travel and tourism 
     suppliers, and labor representatives from these industries;
       (4) establish short-, medium-, and long-term timelines for 
     implementing the recommendations developed pursuant to 
     paragraph (2);
       (5) conduct Federal agency needs assessments, in 
     consultation with the Office of Management and Budget and 
     other relevant Federal agencies, to identify the resources, 
     statutory or regulatory changes, and private sector 
     engagement needed to achieve the annual visitation goals; and
       (6) provide assessments and recommendations to--
       (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (C) the public through a publicly accessible website.
       (b) Domestic Travel and Tourism.--The Assistant Secretary, 
     to the extent feasible, shall--
       (1) evaluate, on an ongoing basis, domestic policy options 
     for supporting competitiveness with respect to the strengths, 
     weaknesses, and growth of the domestic travel industry;
       (2) develop recommendations and goals to support and 
     enhance domestic tourism, separated by business and leisure; 
     and
       (3) engage public and private stakeholders to support 
     domestic tourism.
       (c) Workforce.--The Assistant Secretary shall--
       (1) consult with the Secretary of Labor to develop 
     strategies and best practices for improving the timeliness 
     and reliability of travel and tourism workforce data;
       (2) work with the Secretary of Labor and the Bureau of 
     Economic Analysis to improve travel and tourism industry 
     data; and
       (3) provide recommendations for policy enhancements and 
     efficiencies.
       (d) International Business Travel Facilitation.--The 
     Assistant Secretary, in coordination with relevant Federal 
     agencies, shall work to increase and facilitate international 
     business travel to the United States and ensure 
     competitiveness by engaging in, at a minimum--
       (1) facilitating large meetings, incentives, conferences, 
     and exhibitions to be hosted in the United States;
       (2) emphasizing rural and other destinations rich in 
     cultural heritage or ecological tourism, among other uniquely 
     American destinations, as locations for hosting international 
     meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions in the 
     United States; and
       (3) facilitating sports and recreation events and 
     activities, which shall be hosted in the United States.
       (e) Recovery Strategy.--
       (1) Initial recovery strategy.--Not later than 1 year after 
     amounts are appropriated to accomplish the purposes of this 
     section, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with public 
     and private stakeholders identified in subsection (a)(3) and 
     public health officials, shall develop and implement a COVID-
     19 public health emergency recovery strategy to assist the 
     United States travel and tourism industry to quickly recover 
     from the pandemic.
       (2) Future recovery strategies.--After assisting in the 
     implementation of the strategy developed pursuant to 
     paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with 
     appropriate public and private stakeholders, shall develop 
     additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism 
     industry in anticipation of other unforeseen catastrophic 
     events that would significantly affect the travel and tourism 
     industry, such as hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, 
     terrorist attacks, and pandemics.
       (3) Cost-benefit analysis.--In developing the COVID-19 
     public health emergency recovery strategy under paragraph (1) 
     and additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism 
     industry under paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary shall 
     conduct cost-benefit analyses that take into account the 
     health and economic effects of public health mitigation 
     measures on the travel and tourism industry.
       (f) Reporting Requirements.--
       (1) Assistant secretary.--The Assistant Secretary shall 
     produce an annual forecasting report on the travel and 
     tourism industry, to the extent feasible, which shall include 
     current and anticipated--
       (A) domestic employment needs;
       (B) international inbound volume and spending, taking into 
     account the lasting effects of the COVID-19 public health 
     emergency and the impact of the recovery strategy implemented 
     pursuant to subsection (e)(1); and
       (C) domestic volume and spending, including Federal and 
     State public land travel and tourism data.
       (2) Bureau of economic analysis.--The Director of the 
     Bureau of Economic Analysis should annually update, to the 
     extent feasible, the Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts, 
     including--
       (A) State level travel and tourism spending data;
       (B) travel and tourism workforce data for full-time and 
     part-time employment; and
       (C) Federal and State public lands outdoor recreational 
     activity and tourism spending data.
       (3) National travel and tourism office.--The Director of 
     the National Travel and Tourism Office--
       (A) in partnership with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and 
     other relevant Federal agencies, shall report international 
     arrival and spending data on a regular monthly schedule, 
     which shall be made available to the Travel and Tourism 
     Advisory Board and to the public through a publicly available 
     website; and
       (B) shall include questions in the Survey of International 
     Air Travelers regarding wait-times, visits to public lands, 
     and State data, to the extent applicable.

     SEC. 4. TRAVEL AND TOURISM STRATEGY.

       Not less frequently than once every 10 years, the Secretary 
     of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel 
     and Tourism Advisory Board, the Tourism Policy Council, the 
     Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
     shall develop and submit to Congress a 10-year travel and 
     tourism strategy, which shall include--
       (1) the establishment of goals with respect to the number 
     of annual international visitors to the United States and the 
     annual value of travel and tourism commerce in the United 
     States during such 10-year period;
       (2) the resources needed to achieve the goals established 
     pursuant to paragraph (1); and
       (3) recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes 
     that would be necessary to achieve such goals.

     SEC. 5. UNITED STATES TRAVEL AND TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.

       Section 3 of the Act of July 19, 1940, entitled ``An Act to 
     encourage travel in the United States, and for other 
     purposes'' (15 U.S.C. 1546) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``sec. 3'' and all that follows through 
     ``The Secretary of the Interior is authorized'' and inserting 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 3. UNITED STATES TRAVEL AND TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD; 
                   ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       ``(a) United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.--
       ``(1) In general.--There is established the United States 
     Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (referred to in this 
     subsection as the `Board'), the members of which shall be 
     appointed by the Secretary of Commerce for 2-year terms from 
     among companies and organizations in the travel and tourism 
     industry.
       ``(2) Executive director.--The Assistant Secretary for 
     Travel and Tourism shall serve as the Executive Director of 
     the Board.
       ``(3) Executive secretariat.--The Director of the National 
     Travel and Tourism Office of the International Trade 
     Administration shall serve as the Executive Secretariat for 
     the Board.
       ``(4) Functions.--The Board's Charter shall specify that 
     the Board will--
       ``(A) serve as the advisory body to the Secretary of 
     Commerce on matters relating to

[[Page H8156]]

     the travel and tourism industry in the United States;
       ``(B) advise the Secretary of Commerce on Government 
     policies and programs that affect the United States travel 
     and tourism industry;
       ``(C) offer counsel on current and emerging issues;
       ``(D) provide a forum for discussing and proposing 
     solutions to problems related to the travel and tourism 
     industry; and
       ``(E) provide advice regarding the domestic travel and 
     tourism industry as an economic engine.
       ``(5) Recovery strategy.--The Board shall assist the 
     Assistant Secretary in the development and implementation of 
     the COVID-19 public health emergency recovery strategy 
     required under section 3(e)(1) of the Visit America Act.
       ``(b) Advisory Committee for Promotion of Tourist Travel.--
     The Secretary of Commerce is authorized''; and
       (2) by striking ``the Secretary of the Interior to serve'' 
     and inserting ``the Secretary of Commerce to serve''.

     SEC. 6. DATA ON DOMESTIC TRAVEL AND TOURISM.

       The Secretary of Commerce, subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, shall collect and make public aggregate data 
     on domestic travel and tourism trends.

     SEC. 7. COMPLETION OF PROCEEDING.

       If the Secretary of Commerce has, before the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, taken action that in whole or in part 
     implements this Act or the amendments made by this Act, the 
     Secretary is not required to revisit such action, but only to 
     the extent such action is consistent with this Act and the 
     amendments made by this Act.

     SEC. 8. DEFINED TERM.

       In this Act, the term ``COVID-19 public health 
     emergency''--
       (1) means the public health emergency first declared on 
     January 31, 2020, by the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to COVID-19; and
       (2) includes any renewal of such declaration pursuant to 
     such section 319.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 6965.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America 
Act.
  Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, America's travel and 
tourism industry has been seriously upended. The pandemic caused a 48 
percent reduction for the industry in 2020. The bipartisan Visit 
America Act is the latest bill that the House has brought to the floor 
to help turn the tide for a sector that has not rebounded as quickly as 
some others.
  From the Committee on Energy and Commerce, we are so happy that we 
are able to bring this to the floor.
  While travel has certainly increased over the last year, it is still 
significantly lower than previously before the pandemic. As an example, 
business travel spending is on the rise, but it is still expected to be 
50 percent below 2019 levels. In the meantime, the number of travelers 
visiting the United States from overseas fell by 79 percent in 
September 2021 as compared to that same month in 2019.
  These are significant reductions that are impacting not only 
companies directly involved in the tourism and travel industry but 
small businesses all across the Nation that rely on travelers to keep 
them in business.
  Today, the United States is the only G20 country not to have a high-
ranking official focusing on the travel and tourism industry. This has 
prevented the industry from producing a coordinated approach to 
recovery of the industry and to make us more competitive with the rest 
of the world.
  H.R. 6965 addresses this deficiency and provides the industry with a 
path forward for continuing recovery and growth in the future. This 
bill establishes the role of the assistant secretary of commerce for 
travel and tourism at the Department of Commerce. It also requires the 
assistant secretary to develop and implement a COVID-19 pandemic 
recovery strategy, as well as strategic plans for future disruptions 
that hopefully we aren't going to see.
  The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-
year travel and tourism strategy, as well as provides statutory 
authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, 
which will aid the assistant secretary in developing and implementing 
these important strategies.
  H.R. 6965 passed out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce last 
week unanimously, 56-0. I commend the tireless and passionate efforts 
put forth by Representative Titus, the author of this legislation. 
Without her and the good work done by Representatives Soto, Case, 
Kuster, and the late Don Young--God bless his heart--we would not have 
gotten this agenda done. I also thank Chairmen Nadler and Meeks for 
working with us to get this to the House floor today.
  I know the Senate has also been working on travel and tourism 
legislation and is moving forward with a package of bills that includes 
the Visit America Act. Although there are some technical differences 
between the two bills, my hope is that we can get together and work 
together as quickly as possible and get this legislation passed.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,
                                       Committee on the Judiciary,
                               Washington, DC, September 23, 2022.
     Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.
     Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Pallone: This letter is to advise you that 
     the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to 
     review the provisions in H.R. 6965, the ``Visit America 
     Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate 
     your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary 
     Committee is willing to forgo action on H.R. 6965, with the 
     understanding that we do not thereby waive any future 
     jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject 
     matters.
       In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar 
     legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the 
     right to request an appropriate number of conferees to 
     address any concerns with these or similar provisions that 
     may arise in conference.
       Please place this letter into the Congressional Record 
     during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank 
     you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked 
     regarding this matter and others between our committees.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Jerrold Nadler,
     Chairman.
                                  ____


                                         House of Representatives,


                             Committee on Energy and Commerce,

                               Washington, DC, September 23, 2022.
     Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Nadler: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce and agreeing to be 
     discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6965, the 
     ``Visit America Act,'' so that the bill may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your Committee or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will place our letters into the Congressional Record 
     during consideration of the measure on the House floor. I 
     appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and 
     look forward to continuing to work together as this measure 
     moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                               Frank Pallone, Jr.,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                               Washington, DC, September 26, 2022.
     Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.,
     Chair, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair Pallone: In recognition of the desire to 
     expedite consideration of H.R. 6965, the ``Visit America 
     Act,'' the Committee on Foreign Affairs agrees to waive 
     formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall 
     within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs.
       The Committee on Foreign Affairs takes this action with the 
     mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction 
     over the subject matter contained in this or similar 
     legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately 
     consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation 
     moves forward so that we may address any issues within our

[[Page H8157]]

     jurisdiction. I ask you to support the appointment of 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs conferees during any House-
     Senate conference convened on this legislation.
       Finally, thank you for agreeing to include a copy of our 
     exchange of letters in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of H.R. 6965.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Gregory W. Meeks,
                                                         Chairman.
                                         House of Representatives,


                             Committee on Energy and Commerce,

                               Washington, DC, September 27, 2022.
     Hon. Gregory W. Meeks,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Meeks: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce and agreeing to be 
     discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6965, the 
     ``Visit America Act,'' so that the bill may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your Committee or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will place our letters into the Congressional Record 
     during consideration of the measure on the House floor. I 
     appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and 
     look forward to continuing to work together as this measure 
     moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                               Frank Pallone, Jr.,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America Act.
  The bill along with H.R. 7820, the Travel and Tourism Act, from 
Representative Dunn, and H.R. 4594, the Restoring Brand USA Act, from 
Representative Bilirakis, have represented bipartisan efforts to assist 
our tourism sector with economic recovery post-COVID-19.
  Representative Bilirakis is not here speaking about this bill. He is 
home in Tampa, Florida, and represents the Tampa Bay area, as all of us 
know. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with his community in 
Florida and the other States that have to deal with the remnants of the 
rain. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
  Back to the bill, while I am pleased that Representative Bilirakis' 
Brand USA legislation was signed into law this year, more work and 
bipartisan efforts are needed to build upon Representative Bilirakis' 
efforts to increase tourism.
  Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult for all 
industries, but the travel and tourism industry was hit especially 
hard.
  According to testimony by the U.S. Travel Association before the 
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, at the end of 2021, 
international travel spending was 78 percent below prepandemic levels.
  This bipartisan legislation can support the U.S. travel and tourism 
industry and address the declining percentage of international visitors 
to the United States. The Visit America Act will help by directing the 
Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy 
with annual goals for the number of international visitors to the 
United States.
  Again, I thank the sponsors and cosponsors of all of these bills that 
we have considered at the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I would 
like to give special recognition to our colleague, Representative 
Bilirakis, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer 
Protection and co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, 
who, as I noted, is back home, duly focusing on the hurricane response 
and serving his constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Hawaii (Mr. Case).
  Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6965, 
the Visit America Act.
  U.S. travel and tourism is one of our country's core industries. Pre-
COVID, it generated some $2.6 trillion in annual economic output, was 
one of our largest export and service industries, and supported fully 1 
in 10 U.S. jobs. In many States, my own Hawaii being a prime example, 
it is our leading industry.

                              {time}  1630

  But COVID taught us in spades how fragile this economic and jobs 
generator can be. Very frankly, it has never earned full respect in 
terms of Federal Government attention, focus, and support, given its 
prominence.
  U.S. travel and tourism needs and deserves far more. This bill, in 
which I am joined by the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus), the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), our House Travel and Tourism 
Caucus, and other colleagues, in addition to all aspects of the 
industry, is a necessary start on a new chapter through a coordinated, 
high-level Federal effort, including a 10-year travel and tourism 
strategy and finally, finally, like other countries, an Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge its passage.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Mr. Speaker, we have the greatest country in the world. I love when 
people want to come see the beauty of our great land and meet our great 
people. We have a wonderful opportunity for people to come see our 
country. The tourism industry is a great industry, as are the people 
who serve in it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support this 
legislation because it is so important, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6965, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. TIFFANY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________