[House Report 117-508]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Rept. 117-508
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { Part 1
======================================================================
VISIT AMERICA ACT
_______
September 28, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Pallone, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 6965]
The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6965) to promote travel and tourism in the
United States, and for other purposes, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary.............................................4
II. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................5
III. Committee Hearings..............................................5
IV. Committee Consideration.........................................6
V. Committee Votes.................................................6
VI. Oversight Findings..............................................8
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditure8
VIII. Federal Mandates Statement......................................8
IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives...........8
X. Duplication of Federal Programs.................................8
XI. Committee Cost Estimate.........................................8
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits.....8
XIII. Advisory Committee Statement....................................8
XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................9
XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation..................9
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported..........10
XVII. Minority Views.................................................12
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
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) 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 Homeland Security;
(C) the National Travel and Tourism Office;
(D) Brand USA;
(E) the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory
Board; and
(F) 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, 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) Visa Adjudication.--The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall--
(1) explore strategies for improving visitor visa processing
with respect to--
(A) the maximum time for processing visas, by
visitation type;
(B) regulatory and policy changes needed to meet the
visa processing goals referred to in subparagraph (A),
including changes regarding technology, processing
centers, and training; and
(C) streamlining visa applications and adjudications,
including application design and data collection
procedures; and
(2) explore opportunities to establish pilot programs to
integrate technology into the visitor visa adjudication
process, including video conferencing and biometrics.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
(f) 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.
(g) 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 (f)(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, 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, 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 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(f)(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.
I. Purpose and Summary
H.R. 6965, the ``Visit America Act,'' establishes the role
of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism at
the Department of Commerce and requires the Assistant Secretary
to develop and implement a coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-
19) pandemic recovery strategy to assist the recovery of the
U.S. travel and tourism industry. The bill also requires the
Department of Commerce to develop a ten-year travel and tourism
strategy and provides new authorities for the United States
Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.
II. Background and Need for Legislation
As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in the
United States and travel to the United States declined
drastically from 2019 to 2020.\1\ Travel spending decreased by
42 percent from 2019 to 2020, amounting to $492 billion in
cumulative losses for the American travel economy.\2\ Further,
workers employed in the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation
industries experienced earnings losses as high as 40 percent
during the second quarter of 2020.\3\
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\1\How Bad Was 2020 for Tourism? Look at the Numbers, The New York
Times (March 8, 2021).
\2\U.S. Travel Association, COVID-19 Travel Industry Research
(www.ustravel.org/toolkit/covid-19-travel-industry-research) (accessed
Oct. 6, 2021).
\3\Id.
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The National Travel and Tourism Office, part of the
International Trade Administration at the Department of
Commerce, is charged with enhancing the international
competitiveness of the United States travel and tourism
industry.\4\ Currently, the United States is the only G-20
nation to not have a federal agency or cabinet-level official
in charge of tourism policy.\5\
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\4\Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism (htttp://
www.commerce.gov/tags/tavel-and-tourism) (accessed Sept. 21, 2022).
\5\House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Testimony of Tori
Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy, U.S.
Travel Association, Legislative Hearing to Protect Consumers and
Strengthen the Economy, 117th Cong. (May 26, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Committee Hearings
For the purposes of section 3(c) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the following hearing was used
to develop or consider H.R. 6965:
The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce held a
legislative hearing on May 26, 2022. The hearing was entitled,
``Legislative Hearing to Protect Consumers and Strengthen the
Economy.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from the
following witnesses:
Katlin Kraska, Director of Federal
Legislation, Government Relations, American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals;
Julie Menin, Former Commissioner, New York
City Department of Consumer Affairs;
Hadley Heath Manning, Vice President for
Policy, Independent Women's Forum;
Michael O'Neal, Vice President--Corporate
Underwriting, First American Title Insurance Company;
Trista Hamsmith, Founder and Reese's Mom,
Reese's Purpose;
Eric D. Hagopian, CEO and President, Pilot
Precision Products; and
Tori Barnes, Executive Vice President,
Public Affairs and Policy, U.S. Travel Association.
IV. Committee Consideration
H.R. 6965, the ``Visit America Act,'' was introduced on
March 7, 2022, by Representatives Titus (D-NV), Case (D-HI),
and Young (R-AK) and was referred to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, as well as the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
the Committee on the Judiciary. Subsequently, the bill was
referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and
Commerce on March 8, 2022. The bill was discharged from the
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on September
21, 2022.
On September 21, 2022, the full Committee met in open
markup session, pursuant to notice, to consider H.R. 6965 and
23 other bills. During consideration of the bill, an amendment
in the nature of a substitute (AINS), offered by Representative
Soto (D-FL), was agreed to by a voice vote. Upon conclusion of
consideration of the bill, the full Committee agreed to a
motion on final passage offered by Representative Pallone,
Chairman of the Committee, to order H.R. 6965 reported
favorably to the House, amended, by a roll call vote of 56 yeas
to 0 nays.
V. Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The
Committee advises that there was one record votes taken on H.R.
6965, including a motion by Mr. Pallone ordering H.R. 6965
favorably reported to the House, amended. The motion on final
passage of the bill was approved by a record vote of 56 yeas to
0 nays. The following are the record votes taken during
Committee consideration, including the names of those members
voting for and against:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
VI. Oversight Findings
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee are
reflected in the descriptive portion of the report.
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and
Tax Expenditures
Pursuant to 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the
estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax
expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974.
The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
VIII. Federal Mandates Statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to promote
travel and tourism in the United States.
X. Duplication of Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of
H.R. 6965 is known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, including any program that was included in a report to
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
XI. Committee Cost Estimate
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited
Tariff Benefits
Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the
Committee finds that H.R. 6965 contains no earmarks, limited
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.
XIII. Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this
legislation.
XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 designates that the short title may be cited as
the ``Visit America Act.''
Sec. 2. Assistant Secretary for Travel And Tourism
Section 2 establishes the role of Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Travel and Tourism.
Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Travel And Tourism
Subsection (a) requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for Travel and Tourism to establish an annual visitation goal
for the number of international visitors to the United States
and the value of travel and tourism commerce; develop
recommendations to achieve these goals; ensure that travel and
tourism policy is developed in consultation with public and
private sector organizations; establish short-, medium-, and
long-term timelines for implementing the recommendations; and
complete an agency needs assessment to achieve visitation goals
and provide these assessments to Congress and the public.
Subsection (b) requires the Assistant Secretary to consult
with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland
Security on ways to streamline the visa application process and
explore opportunities to integrate technology into the visa
adjudication process--such as video conferencing and
biometrics.
Subsection (c) requires the Assistant Secretary to evaluate
domestic policy options and develop recommendations to support
competitiveness in the domestic travel industry.
Subsection (d) requires the Assistant Secretary to consult
with the Secretary of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis
to improve travel and tourism workforce and industry data.
Subsection (e) requires the Assistant Secretary, in
coordination with relevant Federal agencies, to increase and
facilitate international business travel to the United States,
ensure competitiveness by facilitating large meetings and
conferences in the United States, and facilitate sports and
recreation events and activities hosted in the United States.
Subsection (f) requires the Assistant Secretary to develop
and implement a COVID-19 public health emergency recovery
strategy as well as a strategy to address future possible
disruptions to the travel and tourism industry, like
hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, terrorist attacks, and
pandemics.
Subsection (g) requires the Assistant Secretary to produce
an annual forecasting report on the travel and tourism
industry. It also requires the Director of the Bureau of
Economic Analysis to annually update the Travel and Tourism
Satellite Accounts to report on international arrival and
spending data on a regular monthly basis and to be made public
on a publicly available website.
Sec. 4. Travel and tourism strategy
Section 4 requires the Secretary of Commerce in
consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory
Board, the Tourism Policy Council, and the Secretary of
Homeland Security to submit a ten-year travel and tourism
strategy with visitation goals for the number of annual
international visitors and the annual value of travel and
tourism commerce in the United States, and recommendations for
policy and regulatory changes necessary to achieve those goals.
Sec. 5. United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board
Section 5 establishes the United States Travel and Tourism
Advisory Board with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Travel and Tourism serving as the Executive Director. The Board
advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the
Travel and Tourism industry in the United States.
Sec. 6. Data on domestic travel and tourism
Section 6 requires the Secretary of Commerce, subject to
the availability of appropriations, to collect and make public
aggregate data on domestic travel and tourism trends.
Sec. 7. Completion of proceeding
Section 7 states that if before the date of enactment of
this bill the Secretary of Commerce has already taken actions
that fulfill a provision within the bill, the Secretary is not
required to revisit such action.
Sec. 8. Defined terms
Section 8 defines the term ``COVID-19 public health
emergency.''
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
ACT OF JULY 19, 1940
AN ACT To encourage travel in the United States, and for other
purposes.
* * * * * * *
[Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized]
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
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(f)(1) of the
Visit America Act.
(b) Advisory Committee for Promotion of Tourist Travel.--The
Secretary of Commerce is authorized to create an advisory
committee to consist of a representative from each of the
Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce, the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and the Department of Transportation, as
may be designated by such Departments or agencies,
respectively, and such additional members, representatives of
the various sections of the Nation, including transportation
and accommodations agencies, not to exceed six members, to be
appointed by [the Secretary of the Interior to serve] the
Secretary of Commerce to serve at his pleasure. Meetings of the
committee shall be held at the request of the Secretary for the
purpose of making recommendations concerning the promotion of
tourist travel under the provisions of this Act. The members of
the committee shall receive no compensation for their services
as members, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for such
necessary travel and other expenses in connection with their
attendance at committee meetings as may be authorized or
approved by the Secretary.
* * * * * * *
XVII. Minority Views
We wish to provide additional viewpoints in the filing of
this report. In May, the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection
and Commerce held a subcommittee legislative hearing which
included two travel and tourism related bills. First H.R. 6965
the Visit America Act, introduced by Representatives Titus,
Young, and Case. Secondly, the Subcommittee considered H.R.
7820, the Travel and Tourism Act, introduced by Representatives
Dunn, Soto, and Salazar.
H.R. 7820 represents bipartisan consensus legislation from
members of this subcommittee, and yet was not allowed to
proceed in tandem with the legislation subject to this
committee report, despite both measures receiving support
together at the same legislative hearing. For instance, during
the May 26, 2022 Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and
Commerce legislative hearing, where both H.R. 7820 and H.R.
6965 were considered together, Subcommittee Chairwoman
Schakowsky said both bills ``will boost our travel and tourism
industry which we certainly want to do at this time;'' Chairman
Pallone even said H.R. 7820 will ``help strengthen our economy
by boosting the travel and tourism industry.'' Chairman Pallone
went on to say, ``It is very important to my district--an
industry that desperately is trying to recover from the COVID-
19 pandemic.''
If these statements of support were not enough, it was even
the understanding of Representative Soto, the Democratic lead
of H.R. 7820 that this bill would move in tandem with H.R.
6965. Specifically, Representative Soto said ``As a sponsor of
the Travel and Tourism Act, I want to make clear our intent is
to have the bill be complimentary of the Visit America Act, and
not a substitute for it . . . is it your understanding, and
would you support moving the bills through the committee
through an open amendment process to ensure the proposers are
complimentary to each other . . .''
It appears there was a bipartisan understanding that both
H.R. 7820 and H.R. 6965 would move through the Committee
together. However, that took a recent change when the Majority
set aside regular order to move H.R. 6965 directly from a
subcommittee legislative hearing to a full committee markup,
prohibiting the ability of subcommittee members to debate and
fine tune the legislation, despite it being clearly requested
from the Democratic sponsor of H.R. 7820.
If the Majority would have considered H.R. 7820 during a
markup, members would have learned it, notably, reflected other
new developments in the tourism and travel industry, such as
the sharing economy and other innovations that provide
flexibility for consumers and new sources of income for many
Americans. Members would have also learned H.R. 7820 did not
create a new position at the Department of Commerce reporting
to the Under Secretary for International Trade, a provision
which was included in H.R. 6965.
We are disappointed H.R. 7820 did not receive its same day
in the Committee that H.R. 6965 did. However, Republicans will
certainly continue to press for the language of that
legislation be incorporated in future discussions as we
continue our leadership in recovery from businesses being
shuttered during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Sincerely,
Cathy McMorris Rodgers,
Republican Leader, Committee
on Energy and Commerce.
Gus M. Bilirakis,
Republican Leader,
Subcommittee on Consumer
Protection and Commerce.
[all]