summary
Introduced
05/21/2020
05/21/2020
In Committee
09/16/2020
09/16/2020
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2020
12/31/2020
Introduced Session
116th Congress
Bill Summary
A bill to authorize the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, to statutorily establish the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, and for other purposes. This bill implements measures to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry and to address the declining percentage of international visitors to the United States. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy with the goal of achieving, by 2028, 116 million annual international visitors to the United States and $445 billion in travel exports. The bill also establishes the role of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, whose responsibilities shall include (1) setting an annual goal for the number of international visitors to the United States, (2) providing support for improved visitor visa processing, and (3) promoting travel exports abroad. Further, the assistant secretary must develop and implement a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic recovery strategy to assist the recovery of the U.S. travel and tourism industry from travel restrictions necessitated by the pandemic. The bill also provides statutory authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which shall aid the assistant secretary in developing and implementing the COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy.
AI Summary
This bill, the Visit America Act, implements several measures to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry and address the declining percentage of international visitors to the United States. Key provisions include:
1. Establishing the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, who will be responsible for setting annual goals for international visitors (reaching 116 million by 2028) and travel exports ($445 billion by 2028), coordinating across federal agencies, and developing a COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy for the travel and tourism industry.
2. Statutorily establishing the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which will serve as an advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters related to the travel and tourism industry and assist the Assistant Secretary in developing and implementing the COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy.
3. Requiring the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy to achieve the visitation and export goals, including identifying necessary resources and recommending any statutory or regulatory changes.
4. Providing the Assistant Secretary with responsibilities related to improving visitor visa processing, promoting domestic travel, and facilitating travel exports abroad.
Committee Categories
Transportation and Infrastructure
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably. (on 09/16/2020)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3831/all-info | 05/22/2020 |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s3831/BILLS-116s3831is.pdf | 06/26/2020 |
| Bill | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s3831/BILLS-116s3831is.pdf.pdf | 06/26/2020 |
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