Export Promotion Reform Act

Summary: Export Promotion Reform Act - Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), in assessing the appropriate levels and allocation of resources among agencies in support of export promotion and export financing, to review the proposed annual budget of each agency before the agency submits it to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for inclusion in the budget the President submits to Congress. Requires the President to take necessary steps to grant the TPCC chairperson authority to ensure that the TPCC carries out each of its duties and develops and implements its governmentwide strategic plan for federal trade promotion efforts. Revises the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to establish foreign offices of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct every five years a global assessment of overseas markets to determine those with the greatest potential for increasing U.S. exports, and (2) deploy Commercial Service personnel and other resources on the basis of the global assessment. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require the U.S. Foreign Service chief of mission to a foreign country, in promoting U.S. goods and services for export to that country, to do so through the development of a plan, drafted in consultation with the TPCC, for effective diplomacy to remove or reduce obstacles to exports of such goods and services. Requires the precepts for selection boards responsible for recommending promotions into and within the Senior Foreign Service, especially members with economic affairs responsibilities, to emphasize performance which demonstrates the effectiveness of efforts to promote the export of U.S. goods and services in accordance with a commercial diplomacy plan. Requires the inspections, investigations, and audits of the Inspector General of the Department of State to examine the effectiveness of commercial diplomacy relating to the promotion of exports of U.S. goods and services.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Export Promotion Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVED COORDINATION EXPORT PROMOTION ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL 
              AGENCIES.

    Section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (relating to the 
Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee; 15 U.S.C. 4727) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph 
                (7); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) in making the assessments under paragraph (5), review 
        the proposed annual budget of each agency described in 
        paragraph (5), under procedures established by the TPCC for 
        such review, before the agency submits that budget to the 
        Office of Management and Budget and the President for inclusion 
        in the budget of the United States submitted to Congress under 
        section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code; and'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (6) as 
                paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) in conducting the review and developing the plan 
        under paragraph (2), take into account recommendations from a 
        representative number of United States exporters, in particular 
        small businesses and medium-sized businesses, and 
        representatives of United States workers;''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Implementation.--The President shall take such steps as are 
necessary to provide the chairperson of the TPCC with the authority to 
ensure that the TPCC carries out each of its duties under subsection 
(b) and develops and implements the strategic plan under subsection 
(c).
    ``(h) Definition.--In this section, the term `small business' means 
a small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE RESOURCES.

    Section 2301(c)(4) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (relating 
to the United States and Foreign Commercial Service; 15 U.S.C. 
4721(c)(4)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F) as 
        subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively; and
            (2) by striking ``(4) Foreign offices.--(A) The Secretary 
        may'' and inserting the following:
            ``(4) Foreign offices.--(A)(i) In consultation with the 
        Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, the Secretary shall 
        conduct a global assessment of overseas markets to determine 
        those with the greatest potential for increasing United States 
        exports, and to deploy the Commercial Service personnel and 
        other resources on the basis of the global assessment.
            ``(ii) The assessment conducted under clause (i) shall take 
        into account recommendations from a representative number of 
        United States exporters, in particular small- and medium-sized 
        businesses, and representatives of United States workers.
            ``(iii) Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
        of the Export Promotion Reform Act, the Secretary shall submit 
        to Congress results of the global assessment conducted under 
        clause (i) and a plan for deployment of Commercial Service 
        personnel and other resources on the basis of the global 
        assessment.
            ``(iv) The Secretary shall conduct an assessment and 
        deployment described in clause (i) not less than once in every 
        5-year period.
            ``(B) The Secretary may''.

SEC. 4. STRENGTHENED U.S. COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IN SUPPORT OF U.S. 
              EXPORTS.

    (a) Development of Plan.--Section 207(c) of the Foreign Service Act 
of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3927(c)) is amended by inserting before the period 
at the end the following: ``, including through the development of a 
plan, drafted in consultation with the Trade Promotion Coordinating 
Committee, for effective diplomacy to remove or reduce obstacles to 
exports of United States goods and services''.
    (b) Assessments and Promotions.--Section 603(b) of the Foreign 
Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4003(b)) is amended, in the second 
sentence, by inserting after ``expertise'' the following: ``and (with 
respect to members of the Service with responsibilities relating to 
economic affairs) of the effectiveness of efforts to promote the export 
of United States goods and services in accordance with a commercial 
diplomacy plan developed pursuant to section 207(c),''.
    (c) Inspector General.--Section 209(b) of the Foreign Service Act 
of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3929(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(5) the effectiveness of commercial diplomacy relating to 
        the promotion of exports of United States goods and services; 
        and''.