U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

69–010 

" ! SENATE 110TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2007

110–233 

Calendar No. 514 

TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2007 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 1661 

NOVEMBER 27 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 16), 2007.—Ordered to be 

printed 

Filed, under authority of the order of the Senate of November 16, 2007 


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(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman 

TED STEVENS, Alaska, Vice-Chairman 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas 

THOMAS CARPER, Delaware 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

TRENT LOTT, Mississippi 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon 

JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada 

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

DAVID VITTER, Louisiana 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

MARGARET CUMMISKY, Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

LILA HELMS, Deputy Staff Director and Policy Director 

JEAN TOAL EISEN, Senior Advisor and Deputy Policy Director 

CHRISTINE KURTH, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel 

PAUL J. NAGLE, Republican Chief Counsel 

MIMI BRANIFF, Republican Deputy Chief Counsel 


bajohnson on PROD1PC71 with REPORTS
Calendar No. 514 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 110–233 

TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2007 

NOVEMBER 27 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 16), 2007.—Ordered to be printed 

Filed, under authority of the order of the Senate of November 16, 2007 

Mr. INOUYE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1661] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 1661) to communicate United States 

travel policies and improve marketing and other activities designed 

to increase travel in the United States from abroad, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and 

recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the Travel Promotion Act of 2007, as reported, is 

to increase international travel to all areas of the United States, 

communicate U.S. travel policies overseas, and make entry procedures into the United States more efficient and welcoming. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Travel and tourism generates approximately $1.3 trillion in economic activity in the United States every year. The U.S. travel and 

tourism industry is one of the Nation’s largest employers with approximately 8.3 million direct travel-generated jobs. According to 

the Department of Commerce (DOC), international travel receipts 

(travel-related tourism spending, including passenger fares) in the 

United States were $107.8 billion in 2006, which surpassed the 

previous record of $103.1 billion set in 2000. In 2006, foreign travelers spent $7.5 billion more in the United States than U.S. travelers spent abroad. Travel and tourism exports accounted for seven 

percent of all U.S. exports and 26 percent of services exports. AcVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:13 Nov 28, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR233.XXX SR233

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cording to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA), an 

increase of one percent in international travel market share would 

produce a $3 billion increase in payroll receipts. 

While the tourism industry continues to be vital to the U.S. economy, the Nation’s share of the world market of international tourism is in decline. According to the TIA, the global international 

travel market has increased by 20 percent since 2000. During this 

same period, however, overseas travel to the United States has declined by 17 percent and this decline has resulted in a loss of nearly 200,000 jobs, $94 billion in visitor spending, and $16 billion in 

Federal, State and local tax receipts. In 1992, according to the 

DOC, the United States attracted 9.4 percent of all international 

tourist arrivals from around the world. In 2004, the United States 

attracted only 6 percent of total international arrivals. While the 

2006 trade surplus related to tourism is $7.5 billion, the 1992 surplus was $22.2 billion. Trade and tourism officials and experts note 

two issues that have contributed to the decline and need to be addressed: (1) the lack of a coordinated international tourism advertising campaign; and (2) the increased difficulty for international 

visitors to gain entry to the United States. 

The Federal government recognizes the importance of travel to 

the U.S. economy. The DOC has taken an active role to promote 

international travel to the United States, but emphasis on specific 

promotions has fluctuated over time. In addition, following September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has increased border security, which has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of 

visitors to the United States. Recently, the State Department and 

the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have recognized the 

need to make the visa and entry process more efficient and welcoming for foreign visitors, while maintaining border security. In 

2006, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff initiated a joint agreement, the 

Rice-Chertoff Joint Vision to Ensure Secure Borders and Open 

Doors, to utilize technology and eliminate inefficiencies to improve 

both international travelers’ ability to participate in U.S. tourism 

and border security. 

Despite ongoing Federal efforts, business leaders across multiple 

industries note the continued loss of international travelers to 

other destinations. Two comprehensive reports recommended reforms needed to regain international arrivals. The United States 

Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (USTTAB) issued its report to 

the DOC on September 5, 2006. The Discover America Partnership 

(DAP), an organization comprised of a number of leaders from the 

travel and tourism industries, released its report on January 31, 

2007. 

History of Federally Funded International Travel Promotion. Federal promotion of tourism in the United States dates back to the 

establishment of the United States Travel Bureau in 1937. However, only in the past 40 years has the DOC had an office or administration that promotes U.S. tourism to foreign citizens through 

coordinated advertising. Enacted in 1961, the International Travel 

Act required the Secretary of Commerce, through the establishment of the United States Travel Service (USTS), to carry out a 

program to encourage travel to the United States by persons from 

foreign countries. Appropriations directed to the USTS increased 


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until 1977, when Congress and the White House began scaling 

back the government’s role in advertising. Federal funding for advertising was eliminated in 1996, when Congress abolished the 

United States Travel and Tourism Administration, the successor of 

the USTS. 

Between 2001 and 2003, total tourism receipts dropped almost 12 

percent, and tourism related industries lost approximately 390,000 

jobs. Congress decided to reinitiate Federal tourism advertising in 

2003 in response to the downturn. The fiscal year (FY) 2003 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution (P.L. 108–7, Sec. 210), authorized the Secretary of Commerce to ‘‘award grants and make direct 

lump sum payments in support of an international advertising and 

promotional campaign developed in consultation with the private 

sector to encourage individuals to travel to the United States consisting of radio, television, and print advertising and marketing 

programs.’’ This law also established the USTTAB and provided a one-time $50 million appropriation. 

The USTTAB is comprised of 14 senior travel and tourism executives from across the United States. These members advise Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez on how to best increase the 

number of international visitors to the United States and ensure 

that the share of the country’s international receipts continues to 

grow. In addition, the board advises the Secretary on the creation 

of a national tourism policy. The USTTAB planned an advertising 

campaign called ‘‘Visit America.’’ The DOC Office of Travel and 

Tourism Industries (OTTI) was responsible for overseeing this campaign. 

Initially, the OTTI planned to target five countries (Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) with advertisements, but Congress rescinded $44 million in the FY 2004 Consolidation Appropriations Act (P.L. 108–199). The OTTI used the remaining $6 million on an advertising campaign focused at the 

United Kingdom alone. In the fall of 2004, the FY 2005 Consolidation Appropriations Act (P.L. 108–447) gave an additional $10 million to the program, allowing the OTTI to expand the advertising 

campaign to Japan in 2005. In December 2005, Congress appropriated another $4 million in the FY 2006 Science, State, Justice, 

Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (P.L. 109–

108), providing a total of $20 million for the campaign to date. On 

January 31, 2007, the DOC announced a $3.9 million cooperative 

agreement with the TIA to develop a destination website for the 

United States. TIA will create and market multi-language consumer-focused Web sites that will encourage leisure travel to the 

United States from a broad range of important markets. 

USTTAB Report. The USTTAB report, entitled ‘‘Restoring America’s Travel Brand: A National Strategy to Compete for International Visitors,’’ recommended actions in four areas to help improve America’s standing in the international travel market: (i) creating a stronger voice for travel in government; (ii) making the arrival experience of travelers more welcoming; (iii) removing unnecessary barriers to travel; and (iv) avoiding inappropriate taxes, 

fees, and regulations on travelers. 

The USTTAB report found that the countries that claim the largest share of the growth in the international travel market are those 

that have ministries of tourism or other governmental entities that 


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help coordinate tourism policy decisions. The United States, by contrast, has no dedicated office of tourism or official to advocate at 

the highest policy levels. The USTTAB report recommended the 

creation of an office with the power to coordinate government policy 

to enhance the Nation’s competitive standing in the global travel 

market. That Federal office would serve as an institutional home 

and voice for the industry; energize interagency communication regarding travel and tourism; identify existing private sector advisory committees and share their input across agencies, industry, 

and the public; and coordinate the roles of other government agencies to more effectively expand travel and tourism promotion, and 

address infrastructure needs and development. 

The report contained numerous suggestions on making the first 

arrival experiences of international travelers more welcoming. The 

USTTAB recommended fully staffing the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 

to reduce wait times at inspection points. Members of the USTTAB 

and other industry participants offered their expertise in managing 

waiting lines and staffing patterns to Federal agencies interfacing 

with travelers. The TIA entered discussions with the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in that effort. The travel and tourism industry also has offered to advise 

Federal agencies on signage and the use of international symbols 

to direct and prepare travelers for the inspection process. 

The USTTAB report also recommended removing unnecessary 

barriers to travel. The USTTAB noted that the Nonimmigrant Visa 

Program is understaffed and cited a General Accountability Office 

report that found almost half of the Department of State’s 211 visaissuing posts reported maximum wait times for visa interviews of 

30 days or more. The USTTAB was particularly concerned about 

the long waits in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and Venezuela. 

Finally, the USTTAB report argued that Federal, State, local, 

special entity, and foreign-government imposed taxes and fees on 

rental cars, commercial aviation, hotels, and restaurant meals, 

among other services, increase the cost of travel and can dampen 

demand for inbound travel. In the report, the USTTAB asked the 

DOC to advocate against discriminatory taxing structures and to 

work within the interagency process to discourage travel taxes imposed by international authorities when the revenue raised has no 

clear benefit or connection to the travel and tourism industry. 

DAP Report. In 2006, the DAP was formed to examine the reasons for, and to develop policy recommendations to reverse, the decline in international travelers that started after September 11, 

2001. On January 31, 2007, the DAP released a report entitled ‘‘A 

Blueprint to Discover America.’’ The report offers a three-point 

plan to increase foreign travel to the United States. Specifically, it 

calls for the creation of a marketing and communications program, 

modernization of U.S. ports of entry, and reform of the visa system. 

The DAP report recommended that the United States develop a 

robust and coordinated international traveler promotion campaign 

to compete with similar programs run by other countries. The report found that such a program should develop and implement a 

strategy that disseminates information about the improvements in 

the U.S. visa process and welcomes travelers to the United States; 

create a public-private partnership to help market and promote the 


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United States abroad; and be based on a dependable funding 

source. 

The DAP also recommends establishing a model port of entry 

program at the 12 busiest airports. It suggests that such a program 

should be designed to decrease average processing time by hiring 

more CBP officers; expand the use of technology and improve CBP 

and TSA coordination; work with the private sector to improve customer service; and create a registered traveler program for trusted, 

low-risk foreigners. 

In addition, the DAP report focuses on delays in the visa application and processing system as a barrier to international travelers 

coming to the United States. The report recommends that the Federal government take steps to reduce visa applicant wait times to 

30 days or less; strengthen security by both collecting traveler biometric information, including a full set of fingerprints, and creating 

a better exit tracking system; and increase the number of countries 

eligible for the visa waiver program. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

S. 1661 would establish a nonprofit corporation (Corporation) to 

create and execute a nationally-coordinated travel promotion program. The purpose of the program would be to accurately communicate the Nation’s travel policies, to encourage travel to the 

United States, and to provide international exposure for areas of 

the United States that do not have the resources to promote themselves overseas. The Corporation would be governed by a 15 member board of directors appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, 

which consists of representatives from States, the Federal government, higher education, and the travel industry. In the first year, 

the Corporation would be permitted to borrow start up funds from 

the Treasury, which would be paid back with interest over the 

course of five years. In subsequent years, the Corporation would be 

entitled to receive matching Federal funds from moneys collected 

from travelers under the Electronic Travel Authorization system to 

be established by the DHS. In order to be entitled to receive Federal funding, the Corporation would be required to raise non-Federal money and in-kind matching contributions at the rate of 50 

percent in fiscal year 2009 and 100 percent in the subsequent 

years. 

In addition, the Travel Promotion Act would establish an office 

in the DOC known as the Office of Travel Promotion headed by the 

Under Secretary of Travel Promotion. The Under Secretary would 

serve as a liaison to the Corporation, work with the Secretaries of 

State and Homeland Security to ensure that international visitors 

are processed efficiently, and promote travel to the United States. 

Finally, S. 1661 would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security 

to establish a model ports-of-entry program for the purpose of providing a more efficient and welcoming international arrival process 

and to implement the program initially at the 20 U.S. international 

airports that have the highest number of foreign visitors arriving 

annually. 


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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

The Commerce Committee held two hearings this session examining travel promotion. The first hearing was a full Committee 

hearing held on January 31, 2007, and chaired by Senator Byron 

Dorgan. The Committee heard testimony regarding the industry’s 

perspective on the health of the travel industry and what legislative initiatives should be taken to strengthen the national economy 

without decreasing domestic security. The second hearing was held 

on March 20, 2007, in the Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee. The Subcommittee heard testimony from representatives from the DOC, DHS, and State Department as well as 

representatives of State tourism agencies regarding their perspectives as to the state of the travel industry, difficulties that travelers face coming to the United States, and recommendations for 

encouraging international travel to America. 

On June 19, 2007, Senator Dorgan introduced S. 1661, the Travel Promotion Act of 2007, which was referred to the Committee on 

Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Chairman Inouye and 

Vice Chairman Stevens were original cosponsors of the measure. 

When S. 1661 was considered in executive session, Senators Smith, 

Kerry, Ensign, Pryor, Lautenberg, and Martinez were also cosponsors of the legislation. The bill has 27 cosponsors in all as of the 

date on which this report was filed. 

On June 27, 2007, the Committee met in an open executive session to consider S. 1661. Chairman Inouye offered an amendment 

that made technical corrections to the legislation and clarified that 

the Corporation would be required to repay any borrowed startup 

funds from the Treasury with interest. An amendment by Vice 

Chairman Stevens was accepted to replace section 5 of the Act and 

insert language that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a fully automated electronic travel authorization system to collect such basic biographical information as the 

Secretary of Homeland Security determines is necessary in advance 

of admitting a foreign traveler to enter the United States under the 

visa waiver program. The Stevens amendment would further authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to charge users a fee 

to access the electronic travel authorization system. The fee would 

be used to cover the costs of administering the system and also 

would include an amount of no more than $10 per user that would 

be transferred to a fund in the Treasury that could be used to 

match industry contributions to the Corporation. Finally, the Stevens amendment would create a new section 9, which would direct 

the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a model ports-ofentry program for the purpose of providing a more efficient and 

welcoming international arrival process and to implement the program initially at the 20 U.S. international airports that have the 

highest number of foreign visitors arriving annually and, subject to 

appropriations, to employ not fewer than an additional 200 CBP officers not later than the end of fiscal year 2008 for use at those airports. Senator Lautenberg offered an amendment to add one representative of the intercity passenger railroad business to the Corporation board. The Inouye, Stevens, and Lautenberg amendments 

were accepted en bloc. 


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Senator Sununu offered an amendment to strike section 5 of the 

Act which, as amended by the manager’s amendment, would authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a fully automated electronic travel authorization system to 

collect basic biographical information from travelers under the visa 

waiver program and to impose a fee on each user of the system. 

The Sununu amendment was defeated by voice vote. 

Senator DeMint offered an amendment that would prohibit the 

imposition of a fee under section 5 of the Act unless the Secretary 

of State certifies in writing to the Secretary of Commerce that the 

time for processing visas has been significantly reduced so that 

travel is not discouraged and the Secretary of Homeland Security 

certifies to the Secretary of Commerce that significant improvements have been made in the processing of the arrival of international travelers. The DeMint amendment was defeated by voice 

vote. 

By voice vote, the bill, as amended, was ordered reported. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 

NOVEMBER 16, 2007. 

Hon. DANIEL K. INOUYE, Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1661, the Travel Promotion 

Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Susan Willie. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG. 

Enclosure. 

S. 1661—Travel Promotion Act of 2007 

Summary: S. 1661 would establish a new organization, the Corporation for Travel Promotion (the Corporation), to promote international tourism in the United States. The Corporation would be 

funded through amounts borrowed from the Treasury, assessments 

on private firms operating in the travel industry, and new fees 

charged to users of the visa waiver program. 

Under S. 1661, all amounts available to the Corporation would 

be recorded as deposits into a new fund in the Treasury, and the 

Corporation would be authorized to spend amounts in that fund. 

CBO estimates that assessments imposed by the Corporation would 

increase revenues by an estimated $62 million over the 2009–2012 

period and $145 million over the 2008–2017 period, net of income 

and payroll tax offsets. CBO also estimates that enacting S. 1661 

would increase direct spending by $3 million in 2008, $65 million 

over the 2008–2012 period, and $180 million over the 2008–2017 

period. 


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The bill also would establish the Office of Travel Promotion in 

the Department of Commerce (DoC) to develop programs to increase the number of international travelers coming to the United 

States and authorize the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries 

to expand its research activities. Finally, S. 1661 would authorize 

DHS to develop a program to improve the arrival process for international travelers in U.S. airports and to employ more customs officers at certain airports. 

Based on information from DoC and DHS, CBO estimates that 

implementing S. 1661 would increase discretionary spending by 

about $38 million in 2008 and $282 million over the 2008–2012 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

S. 1661 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in 

the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no 

cost on state, local, or tribal governments. 

In the event that the Corporation imposes an assessment on 

firms in the travel industry, S. 1661 would impose a private-sector 

mandate, as defined in UMRA, on the members of the industry 

who would be required to pay such an assessment. The Corporation 

could compel the payment of any assessments through the federal 

courts. Based on information from industry sources, CBO estimates 

that the cost to comply with the mandate would fall well below the 

annual threshold for private-sector mandates established by UMRA 

($131 million in 2007, adjusted annually for inflation). 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 1661 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 370 (commerce and 

housing credit) and 750 (administration of justice). 

Basis of estimate: CBO expects that the cash flows related to the 

Corporation would appear on the budget as governmental receipts 

and direct spending because S. 1661 specifies that the Corporation’s finances would operate through the U.S. Treasury, and its 

assessments would stem from an exercise of the sovereign power of 

the federal government. 

For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill would be enacted 

early in fiscal year 2008 and that the necessary amounts would be 

appropriated at the start of each fiscal year. 

Revenues 

S. 1661 would authorize the Corporation to impose an annual assessment on certain sectors of the travel industry, pending approval in a referendum by members of the travel industry. The 

Corporation also would be authorized to accept voluntary contributions from private sources either in cash or, with limitations, in 

goods and services. Such assessments and any voluntary contributions would be recorded on the federal budget as additional revenues. 

CBO assumes that the annual assessment on the travel and 

tourism industry would total $20 million in 2009 as authorized by 

the bill. In subsequent years, CBO assumes that industry assessments would increase at the rate of inflation. We do not expect that 

the industry would make voluntary contributions that would substantially raise the Corporation’s revenues above $20 million per 

year. 


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TABLE 1.—ESTIMATED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF S. 1661 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

CHANGES IN REVENUES 1

Estimated Revenues ................................................................................................ 0 15 15 16 16

CHANGES IN DIRECT SPENDING 1

Estimated Budget Authority .................................................................................... 10 20 20 21 11 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................................... 3 14 14 19 15 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Department of Commerce: 

Office of Travel Promotion: 

Estimated Authorization Level .............................................................. 4 6 6 6 6 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................. 3 5 5 6 6 

Office of Travel and Tourism Industries: 

Estimated Authorization Level .............................................................. 5 9 14 15 17 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................. 4 8 13 14 16 

Department of Homeland Security: 

Additional CBP Officers: 

Estimated Authorization Level .............................................................. 14 22 23 23 24 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................. 13 21 23 23 24 

Improved Airport Inspections: 

Estimated Authorization Level .............................................................. 20 20 20 20 20 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................. 18 20 20 20 20 

Total Changes 

Estimated Authorization Level .............................................................. 43 57 63 64 67 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................. 38 54 61 63 66 

1 See Table 2 for changes in direct spending and revenues over the 2008–2017 period. 

Gross assessments of about $20 million annually would be partially offset by a loss of receipts from income and payroll taxes of 

25 percent. Because excise taxes and other indirect business taxes 

reduce the tax base of income and payroll taxes, higher amounts 

of those taxes would lead to reductions in income and payroll tax 

revenues. As a result, CBO estimates that enacting S. 1661 would 

increase net revenues by $62 million over the 2008–2012 period 

and $145 million over the 2008–2017 period. 

Direct spending 

CBO assumes that the Corporation would exercise its borrowing 

authority in fiscal year 2008 to cover about $10 million in start-up 

and operating expenses. We assume that the Corporation would 

begin collecting assessments in 2009 and that it would spend the 

income from fees and assessments mostly in the year they are collected. CBO estimates that enacting S. 1661 would increase direct 

spending by $3 million in 2008, $65 million over the 2008–2012 period, and $180 million over the 2008–2017 period. 


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TABLE 2.

—CHANGES IN DIRECT SPENDING AND REVENUES UNDER S. 1661 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars

—

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2008

2012 

CHANGES IN REVENUES 

Changes in Revenues ................................................................................................................................... 0 15 15 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 

CHANGES IN DIRECT SPENDING 

Gross Changes in Direct Spending: 

Estimated Budget Authority ................................................................................................................ 10 30 40 42 32 21 22 22 23 23 1Estimated Outlays ............................................................................................................................... 3 24 34 40 36 27 23 22 22 21 13

Offsetting Receipts (DHS Visa Waiver Fees): 

Estimated Budget Authority ................................................................................................................ 0 ¥10 ¥20 ¥21 ¥21 0 0 0 0 0 ¥

Estimated Outlays ............................................................................................................................... 0 ¥10 ¥20 ¥21 ¥21 0 0 0 0 0 ¥

Net Changes in Direct Spending: 

Estimated Budget Authority ................................................................................................................ 10 20 20 21 11 21 22 22 23 23 8Estimated Outlays ............................................................................................................................... 3 14 14 19 15 27 23 22 22 21 


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For fiscal years 2009 through 2012, funds collected through an 

industry assessment (and any voluntary contributions) would be 

available to the Corporation to spend on its authorized activities 

and would be matched by a new fee that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would collect from users of the visa waiver 

program. Those fees would be available to the Corporation only to 

the extent that the Corporation provides matching funds from its 

assessments on industry participants and voluntary contributions. 

In 2009, fees could total up to 50 percent of private funds; in subsequent years, fees would have to be matched dollar-for-dollar with 

private funds. Based on its estimate that assessments would total 

$82 million over the 2009–2012 period, CBO estimates that the new DHS fees would bring in $72 million during that period. Fees 

collected under the visa waiver program are classified as offsetting 

receipts (a credit against direct spending). CBO assumes that the 

additional fees authorized by S. 1661 would receive the same budgetary treatment. 

Spending subject to appropriation 

Section 7 of S. 1661 would create the Office of Travel Promotion 

(OTP) to, among other things, serve as a liaison to the Corporation 

for Travel Promotion and to produce and distribute information 

about admission procedures for international travelers. Based on 

information from DoC, CBO estimates that the agency would hire 

25 additional full-time employees to set up the OTP and undertake 

the duties outlined in the bill. CBO estimates that creating the 

OTP would cost $3 million in 2008 and $25 million over the 2008– 2012 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

Section 8 would broaden the research activities of the Office of 

Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) in the Department of Commerce. The bill would require OTTI to expand access to certain 

data, revise a survey of international travel patterns, and develop 

state-by-state estimates of foreign travel expenditures. Based on information from DoC, CBO estimates that the new requirements 

would cost $4 million in 2008 and $55 million over the 2008–2012 

period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. 

Section 9 would direct DHS to hire an additional 200 Customs 

and Border Protection (CBP) officers during fiscal year 2008. Based 

on information from CBP, CBO estimates that the increase in staff 

would cost about $22 million annually, beginning in fiscal year 

2009, including salaries, benefits, training, equipment, and support 

costs. 

Section 9 also would direct DHS to establish a program to improve the inspection procedures and the treatment of passengers 

arriving at U.S. airports from overseas. The program would be implemented at the 20 airports with the highest number of foreign 

visitors. Based on information from DHS, CBO estimates that the 

program would cost $20 million annually (about $1 million for each 

airport). 

Estimated Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: S. 

1661 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated Impact on the Private Sector: The bill would authorize 

the Corporation to impose an annual assessment on certain U.S. 

members of the travel and tourism industry, provided industry 


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members approve the assessment in a referendum. In the event 

that such an assessment is approved, S. 1661 would impose a private-sector mandate on the members of the international travel 

and tourist industry who would be required to pay the assessment. 

Based on information from sources in the travel industry, CBO estimates that payments of such assessments would total about $20 

million per year, well below the annual threshold for private-sector 

mandates established by UMRA ($131 million in 2007, adjusted annually for inflation). 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Susan Willie and Mark 

Grabowicz; Federal Revenues: Mark Booth; Impact on State, Local, 

and Tribal Governments: Elizabeth Cove; Impact on the Private 

Sector: Paige Piper/Bach. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis; G. Thomas Woodward, Assistant Director for 

Tax Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the legislation, as reported: 

NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

The formation of the Corporation would require representatives 

of various sectors of the travel industry to participate on its board 

of directors. The general travel and tourism industry will not be 

impacted by S. 1661 directly, unless the Corporation chose to initiate a referendum under Section 6. At that point, impacted members of the travel and tourism industry would participate in a referendum and, if an assessment is approved, pay the assessment. 

Fees would be assessed on users of the electronic travel authorization system who are not U.S. citizens. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

S. 1661 is not expected to have an adverse impact on the Nation’s economy. Rather, promoting international travel to the 

United States through the creation of the Corporation, establishing 

an Under Secretary of Travel Promotion within the DOC, and establishing a model port of entry program should increase the number of international travelers to America, which will result in economic growth in the travel industry. 

PRIVACY

S. 1661 would have no anticipated impact on the privacy rights 

of individuals. 

PAPERWORK

In general, there will not be an increase in paper work for members of the travel and tourism industry. If the Corporation initiates 

a referendum and assessment under Section 6, then affected companies would need to submit associated paperwork. 


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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short Title; Table of Contents. 

The section would cite the short title of the bill as the as the ‘‘Travel Promotion Act of 2007’’ and provide a table of contents. 

Section 2. The Corporation for Travel Promotion. 

The section would establish the Corporation for Travel Promotion 

as a nonprofit corporation governed by a 15 member board of directors appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The members would 

represent State and local interests; the Federal government; the 

higher education community; the small business community; hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses; passenger air transportation; attractions and recreational businesses; the intercity passenger railroad business; and car rental businesses. The members 

of the board would be required to have professional expertise in 

travel and international travel promotion and marketing, and to 

broadly represent all regions of the United States. No member of 

the board would be considered a Federal employee by virtue of his 

or her service on the board. 

The board would appoint a President and other officers. No political test or qualification shall be used in personnel actions with respect to officers or employees of the Corporation. The Corporation 

would be prohibited from contributing to or otherwise supporting 

any political party or candidate for elective public office. 

The Committee further intends that the Corporation not engage 

in activities to directly or indirectly influence funding legislation. 

The Corporation would be required to develop and implement a 

plan to: (1) provide information to travelers, tour operators, and 

other international travel stakeholders, including materials provided by the Federal government concerning entry requirements 

and other information that would allow travelers to better navigate 

the process of entering the United States; (2) counter and correct 

international misperceptions regarding U.S. travel policy; (3) maximize the economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to America 

through promotional activities; (4) ensure that international travel 

benefits all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including areas 

not traditionally visited by international travelers; and (5) 

prioritize the use of Corporation resources towards countries and 

potential travelers that are most likely to travel to America. In 

order to carry out its mission, the Corporation would be empowered 

to contract with public and private entities, hire or accept voluntary services of consultants and experts, and to take such other 

actions as may be necessary. Promotional expenditures of more 

than $25,000,000 would need to be authorized by a vote of at least 

two-thirds of the board at a meeting at which eight of more members are present. 

Meetings of the board would have to be open to the public with 

the limited exception that portions of a meeting may be closed for 

the period of time necessary to preserve the confidentiality of commercial or financial information, to discuss personnel matters, or to 

discuss legal matters. An independent accounting firm would have 

to conduct an annual audit of the Corporation’s operations, and the 

Corporation would be required to provide the Comptroller General 

full and complete access to its books and records. 


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Section 3. Accountability Measures. 

The section would require the Corporation’s board to establish 

annual objectives for the Corporation subject to approval by the 

Secretary of Commerce and establish a marketing plan for each fiscal year. It also would be required to submit an annual budget to 

the Secretary with an explanation of any expenditure in excess of 

$5 million, which would be made available to the public. The Corporation would submit an annual report to the Secretary of Commerce for transmittal to Congress detailing its operations, activities, financial conditions, and accomplishments as well as an objective and quantifiable measurement of the Corporation’s progress on 

an objective-by-objective basis and an explanation of the reason for 

any failure to achieve an objective established by the board and 

making appropriate recommendations. 

Section 4. Matching Public and Private Funding. 

The section would establish a fund in the Treasury known as the 

Travel Promotion Fund (Fund). For FY 2008, the Corporation 

would be permitted to borrow from the Treasury beginning on October 1, 2007, up to $10 million to cover its initial expenses and 

activities under the Act. The borrowed funds would have to be repaid with interest by the Corporation before October 1, 2012. Subsequently, the Secretary of Treasury would transfer not more than 

$100,000,000 in fees collected pursuant to section 5 of the Act to 

the Fund. Based on the amount of private industry contributions 

raised by the Corporation, the Secretary of the Treasury could distribute to the Corporation matching moneys from the Fund. At 

least 20 percent of the private-sector contributions would have to 

be in cash and remaining contributions may be in-kind contributions such as television advertising time, advertisement space, or 

services calculated at the fair market value of such goods or services. The Corporation would have the right to refuse any contribution that is not useful or is inappropriate. For FY 2009, the Corporation would provide matching funds from non-Federal sources 

equal to 50 percent of the amount received from the government. 

After FY 2009, the Corporation would provide matching funds from 

non-Federal sources equal to 100 percent of the amount received 

from the government. To the extent that industry contributions entitle the Corporation to more matching money than is available in 

the Fund in a given year, the value of contributions would be carried forward for matching purposes in subsequent years. 

Section 5. Electronic Travel Authorization System. 

The section would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act 

to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation 

with the Secretary of State, to develop and implement a fully automated electronic travel authorization system to collect such basic 

biographical information as the Secretary of Homeland Security 

deems necessary to determine in advance the eligibility of a foreign 

traveler to enter the United States under the visa waiver program. 

The section further would authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to charge users a fee to use the electronic travel authorization system. The fee would be used to cover the costs of administering the system and also include an assessment of no more than 

$10 per user that would be transferred to the Fund. The Secretary 


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of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 

would prescribe regulations that provide the period, not to exceed 

three years, during which a determination of eligibility under the 

program would be valid. The section would prohibit any judicial review of eligibility determinations and require a report to Congress 

regarding the implementation of the system. The section would 

also authorize the appropriation of funds necessary to establish the 

electronic travel authorization system. 

Section 6. Assessment Authority. 

The section would authorize the Corporation to impose an annual 

assessment under specific conditions on certain sectors of the private travel industry in the United States, other than higher education, passenger air transportation business, and small businesses. The initial assessment would be capped, in the aggregate, 

at $20 million. Prior to initiating an assessment, the Corporation 

would submit the proposed assessment to the members of the industry impacted by the referendum, and the assessment would 

have to be approved by a majority of those members. In conducting 

the referendum, the Corporation would be required to provide written or electronic notice not less than 60 days before the date of the 

referendum, describe the assessment, and determine the results of 

the referendum based on a voting structure weighted according to 

each business entity’s relative share of the aggregate annual U.S. 

international travel and tourism revenue per business entity, treating all related entities as a single entity. The Committee intends 

that the Corporation work with the DOC to designate discrete sectors of the travel and tourism industry as ‘‘business entities’’ for 

purpose of the referendum and to use Federal government revenue 

estimates to assess the aggregate annual U.S. international travel 

and tourism revenue for each business entity. The intent of the 

weighted voting structure is to allow businesses to influence the 

referendum in a manner directly proportionate to the percent that 

they would contribute to the related assessment. Business sectors 

with greater international travel and tourism revenues would receive greater weight in voting in proportion to the greater financial 

burden they would contribute. The Committee further intends that 

the Corporation would be responsible for organizing and managing 

the process for notifying and polling the industry members subject 

to an assessment. Only those industry members who have been 

contacted and afforded the opportunity to participate in the referendum would be subject to the assessment. The Corporation 

would establish a means of collecting the assessment and would be 

authorized to bring suit in Federal court to compel compliance with 

a properly authorized assessment. Pending disbursement of the 

funds assessed, the Corporation would be allowed to invest the 

funds in an interest-bearing account. 

Section 7. Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel Promotion. 

The section would establish the Office of Travel Promotion in the 

Department of Commerce headed by the Under Secretary of Travel 

Promotion. The Under Secretary would be a citizen of the United 

States and have experience in a field directly related to the promotion of travel in the United States. The Under Secretary would 

serve as liaison to the Corporation, support and develop programs 


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16 

to increase the number of international visitors to the United 

States, work with the Corporation and the Secretaries of State and 

Homeland Security to ensure that international visitors are processed efficiently and in a respectful manner, supervise activities of 

the OTTI, support State, regional, and private sector initiatives to 

promote travel to and within the United States, and work to enhance the entry and departure experience for international visitors. 

Within a year after the date of enactment, the Under Secretary 

would transmit a report to Congress describing the Under Secretary’s work with the State Department and DHS to ensure that 

international visitors are processed efficiently. 

Section 8. Research Program. 

The section would amend the International Travel Act of 1916 

and require OTTI to expand its research and development activities in support of promoting international travel to the United 

States, including expanding access to official Mexican travel surveys data, revising the Commerce Department’s Survey of International Travelers, developing estimates of international travel exports on a State-by-State basis, and evaluating the success of the 

Corporation in achieving the objective set forth in the Act. It would 

also authorize such sums as would be necessary to carry out this 

section. 

Section 9. Model Ports-of-Entry. 

The section would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to 

establish a model ports-of-entry program for the purpose of providing a more efficient and welcoming international arrival process 

and to implement the program initially at the 20 U.S. international 

airports that have the highest number of foreign visitors arriving 

annually as determined by the most recent data collected by the 

CBP available on date of enactment. The program would include 

enhanced queue management, assistance for foreign visitors once 

they have been admitted to the United States, and instructional 

videos. The section would further direct the Secretary of Homeland 

Security, subject to appropriations, to employ not fewer than an additional 200 CBP officers not later than the end of FY 2008. The 

officers would be used to address staff shortages at the 20 U.S. 

international airports that have the highest number of foreign visitors arriving annually. 

Section 10. Definitions. 

The section would define the terms ‘‘Board’’, ‘‘Corporation’’, 

‘‘fund’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ as used in the Act. 


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(17) 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, 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 material is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

UNITED STATES CODE 

TITLE 5 

PART III—EMPLOYEES

SUBPART D. PAY AND ALLOWANCES

CHAPTER 53. PAY RATES AND SYSTEMS

§ 5313. Positions at level II 

Level II of the Executive Schedule applies to the following positions, for which the annual rate of basic pay shall be the rate determined with respect to such level under chapter 11 of title 2, as 

adjusted by section 5318 of this title: 

Deputy Secretary of Defense. 

Deputy Secretary of State. 

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. 

Administrator, Agency for International Development. 

Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. 

Deputy Secretary of Transportation. 

Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers. 

Director of the Office of Science and Technology. 

Director of Central Intelligence. 

Secretary of the Air Force. 

Secretary of the Army. 

Secretary of the Navy. 

Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration. 

Director of the National Science Foundation. 

Deputy Attorney General. 

Deputy Secretary of Energy. 

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. 

Director of the Office of Personnel Management. 

Administrator, Federal Highway Administration. 

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and 

Logistics. 


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Deputy Secretary of Labor. 

Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. 

Independent Members, Thrift Depositor Protection Oversight 

Board. 

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

Deputy Secretary of the Interior. 

Deputy Secretary of Education. 

Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and 

Budget. 

Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Deputy Commissioner of Social Security, Social Security Administration. 

Administrator of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. 

Deputy Director of National Drug Control Policy. 

Members, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. 

The Under Secretary of Transportation for Security. 

Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. 

Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation. 

Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. 

Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. 

Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center. 

Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

The Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel Promotion. 

IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT

[8 U.S.C. 1187] 

§ 1187. Visa waiver program for certain visitors 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Attorney General and the 

Secretary of State are authorized to establish a program (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘program’’) under which the 

requirement of paragraph (7)(B)(i)(II) of section 212(a) may be 

waived by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary 

of State and in accordance with this section, in the case of an alien 

who meets the following requirements: 

(1) SEEKING ENTRY AS TOURIST FOR 90 DAYS OR LESS.—The 

alien is applying for admission during the program as a nonimmigrant visitor (described in section 101(a)(15)(B)) for a period not exceeding 90 days. 

(2) NATIONAL OF PROGRAM COUNTRY.—The alien is a national 

of, and presents a passport issued by, a country which—

(A) extends (or agrees to extend), either on its own or in 

conjunction with one or more other countries that are described in subparagraph (B) and that have established 

with it a common area for immigration admissions, reciprocal privileges to citizens and nationals of the United 

States, and 

(B) is designated as a [pilot] program country under subsection (c). 


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19 

(3) MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT.— (A) In general. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 

on or after October 1, 2003, the alien at the time of application for admission is in possession of a valid unexpired 

machine-readable passport that satisfies the internationally accepted standard for machine readability. 

(B) Limited waiver authority. For the period beginning 

October 1, 2003, and ending September 30, 2007, the Secretary of State may waive the requirement of subparagraph (A) with respect to nationals of a program country 

(as designated under subsection (c)), if the Secretary of 

State finds that the program country— (i) is making progress toward ensuring that passports meeting the requirement of subparagraph (A) 

are generally available to its nationals; and 

(ii) has taken appropriate measures to protect 

against misuse of passports the country has issued 

that do not meet the requirement of subparagraph (A). 

(4) EXECUTES IMMIGRATION FORMS.—The alien before the 

time of such admission completes such immigration form as 

the Attorney General shall establish. 

(5) ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES.—If arriving by sea or 

air, the alien arrives at the port of entry into the United States 

on a carrier, including any carrier conducting operations under 

part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or a noncommercial aircraft that is owned or operated by a domestic 

corporation conducting operations under part 91 of title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations which has entered into an agreement with the Attorney General pursuant to subsection (e). 

The Attorney General is authorized to require a carrier conducting operations under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations, or a domestic corporation conducting operations 

under part 91 of that title, to give suitable and proper bond, 

in such reasonable amount and containing such conditions as 

the Attorney General may deem sufficient to ensure compliance with the indemnification requirements of this section, as 

a term of such an agreement. 

(6) NOT A SAFETY THREAT.—The alien has been determined 

not to represent a threat to the welfare, health, safety, or security of the United States. 

(7) NO PREVIOUS VIOLATION.—If the alien previously was admitted without a visa under this section, the alien must not 

have failed to comply with the conditions of any previous admission as such a nonimmigrant. 

(8) ROUND-TRIP TICKET.—The alien is in possession of a 

round-trip transportation ticket (unless this requirement is 

waived by the Attorney General under regulations or the alien 

is arriving at the port of entry on an aircraft operated under 

part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or a noncommercial aircraft that is owned or operated by a domestic 

corporation conducting operations under part 91 of title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations). 

(9) AUTOMATED SYSTEM CHECK.—The identity of the alien 

has been checked using an automated electronic database conVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:13 Nov 28, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR233.XXX SR233

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taining information about the inadmissibility of aliens to uncover any grounds on which the alien may be inadmissible to 

the United States, and no such ground has been found. 

Operators of aircraft under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations, or operators of noncommercial aircraft that are owned 

or operated by a domestic corporation conducting operations under 

part 91 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, carrying any alien 

passenger who will apply for admission under this section shall furnish such information as the Attorney General by regulation shall 

prescribe as necessary for the identification of any alien passenger 

being transported and for the enforcement of the immigration laws. 

Such information shall be electronically transmitted not less than 

one hour prior to arrival at the port of entry for purposes of checking for inadmissibility using the automated electronic database. 

(b) WAIVER OF RIGHTS.—An alien may not be provided a waiver 

under the program unless the alien has waived any right—

(1) to review or appeal under this Act of an immigration officer’s determination as to the admissibility of the alien at the 

port of entry into the United States, or 

(2) to contest, other than on the basis of an application for 

asylum, any action for removal of the alien. 

(c) DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM COUNTRIES.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, in consultation with 

the Secretary of State, ‘‘may designate’’ any country as a program country if it meets the requirements of paragraph (2). 

(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Except as provided in subsection (f), a 

country may not be designated as a program country unless 

the following requirements are met: 

(A) LOW NONIMMIGRANT VISA REFUSAL RATE.—Either—

(i) the average number of refusals of nonimmigrant 

visitor visas for nationals of that country during—

(I) the two previous full fiscal years was less 

than 2.0 percent of the total number of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that country which were granted or refused during those 

years; and 

(II) either of such two previous full fiscal years 

was less than 2.5 percent of the total number of 

nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that 

country which were granted or refused during 

that year; or 

(ii) such refusal rate for nationals of that country 

during the previous full fiscal year was less than 3.0 

percent. 

(B) MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT PROGRAM.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), the government of the country certifies that it issues to its citizens machine-readable passports that satisfy the 

internationally accepted standard for machine readability. 

(ii) DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES.—In the case of a country designated as a program country under this subsection prior to May 1, 


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21 

2000, as a condition on the continuation of that designation, the country—

(I) shall certify, not later than October 1, 2000, 

that it has a program to issue machine-readable 

passports to its citizens not later than October 1, 

2003; and 

(II) shall satisfy the requirement of clause (i) 

not later than October 1, 2003. 

(C) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY INTERESTS.—The 

Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 

State—

(i) evaluates the effect that the country’s designation 

would have on the law enforcement and security interests of the United States (including the interest in enforcement of the immigration laws of the United 

States and the existence and effectiveness of its agreements and procedures for extraditing to the United 

States individuals, including its own nationals, who 

commit crimes that violate United States law); 

(ii) determines that such interests would not be compromised by the designation of the country; and 

(iii) submits a written report to the Committee on 

the Judiciary and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign 

Relations of the Senate regarding the country’s qualification for designation that includes an explanation of 

such determination. 

(D) REPORTING PASSPORT THEFTS.—The government of 

the country certifies that it reports to the United States 

Government on a timely basis the theft of blank passports 

issued by that country. 

(3) CONTINUING AND SUBSEQUENT QUALIFICATIONS.—For each 

fiscal year after the initial period—

(A) CONTINUING QUALIFICATION.—In the case of a country which was a program country in the previous fiscal 

year, a country may not be designated as a program country unless the sum of—

(i) the total of the number of nationals of that country who were denied admission at the time of arrival 

or withdrew their application for admission during 

such previous fiscal year as a nonimmigrant visitor, 

and 

(ii) the total number of nationals of that country 

who were admitted as nonimmigrant visitors during 

such previous fiscal year and who violated the terms 

of such admission, was less than 2 percent of the total 

number of nationals of that country who applied for 

admission as nonimmigrant visitors during such previous fiscal year. 

(B) NEW COUNTRIES.—In the case of another country, the 

country may not be designated as a program country unless the following requirements are met: 


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(i) LOW NONIMMIGRANT VISA REFUSAL RATE IN PRE- VIOUS 2-YEAR PERIOD.—The average number of refusals of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that 

country during the two previous full fiscal years was 

less than 2 percent of the total number of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that country 

which were granted or refused during those years. 

(ii) LOW NONIMMIGRANT VISA REFUSAL RATE IN EACH

OF THE 2 PREVIOUS YEARS.—The average number of refusals of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of 

that country during either of such two previous full 

fiscal years was less than 2.5 percent of the total number of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that 

country which were granted or refused during that 

year. 

(4) Initial period. For purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3), the 

term ‘‘initial period’’ means the period beginning at the end of 

the 30-day period described in subsection (b)(1) and ending on 

the last day of the first fiscal year which begins after such 30- 

day period. 

(5) WRITTEN REPORTS ON CONTINUING QUALIFICATION; DES- IGNATION TERMINATIONS.— (A) PERIODIC EVALUATIONS.— (i) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, periodically (but not 

less than once every 2 years)— (I) shall evaluate the effect of each program 

country’s continued designation on the law enforcement and security interests of the United 

States (including the interest in enforcement of 

the immigration laws of the United States and the 

existence and effectiveness of its agreements and 

procedures for extraditing to the United States individuals, including its own nationals, who commit crimes that violate United States law); 

(II) shall determine, based upon the evaluation 

in subclause (I), whether any such designation 

ought to be continued or terminated under subsection (d); and 

(III) shall submit a written report to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on 

International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary and 

the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 

regarding the continuation or termination of the 

country’s designation that includes an explanation 

of such determination and the effects described in 

subclause (I). 

(ii) EFFECTIVE DATE.—A termination of the designation of a country under this subparagraph shall take 

effect on the date determined by the Attorney General, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State. 

(iii) REDESIGNATION.—In the case of a termination 

under this subparagraph, the Attorney General shall 


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23 

redesignate the country as a program country, without 

regard to subsection (f) or paragraph (2) or (3), when 

the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determines that all causes of the termination have been eliminated. 

(B) EMERGENCY TERMINATION.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a program country in 

which an emergency occurs that the Attorney General, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State, determines 

threatens the law enforcement or security interests of 

the United States (including the interest in enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States), 

the Attorney General shall immediately terminate the 

designation of the country as a program country. 

(ii) DEFINITION.—For purposes of clause (i), the term 

‘‘emergency’’ means—

(I) the overthrow of a democratically elected 

government; 

(II) war (including undeclared war, civil war, or 

other military activity) on the territory of the program country; 

(III) a severe breakdown in law and order affecting a significant portion of the program country’s territory; 

(IV) a severe economic collapse in the program 

country; or 

(V) any other extraordinary event in the program country that threatens the law enforcement 

or security interests of the United States (including the interest in enforcement of the immigration 

laws of the United States) and where the country’s participation in the program could contribute 

to that threat. 

(iii) REDESIGNATION.—The Attorney General may redesignate the country as a program country, without 

regard to subsection (f) or paragraph (2) or (3), when 

the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determines that—

(I) at least 6 months have elapsed since the effective date of the termination; 

(II) the emergency that caused the termination 

has ended; and 

(III) the average number of refusals of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that country during the period of termination under this 

subparagraph was less than 3.0 percent of the 

total number of nonimmigrant visitor visas for nationals of that country which were granted or refused during such period. 

(C) TREATMENT OF NATIONALS AFTER TERMINATION.—For 

purposes of this paragraph—

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gible for a waiver under subsection (a) until the effective date of such termination; and 

(ii) a waiver under this section that is provided to 

such a national for a period described in subsection 

(a)(1) shall not, by such termination, be deemed to 

have been rescinded or otherwise rendered invalid, if 

the waiver is granted prior to such termination. 

(6) COMPUTATION OF VISA REFUSAL RATES.—For purposes of 

determining the eligibility of a country to be designated as a 

program country, the calculation of visa refusal rates shall not 

include any visa refusals which incorporate any procedures 

based on, or are otherwise based on, race, sex, or disability, unless otherwise specifically authorized by law or regulation. No 

court shall have jurisdiction under this paragraph to review 

any visa refusal, the denial of admission to the United States 

of any alien by the Attorney General, the Secretary’s computation of the visa refusal rate, or the designation or nondesignation of any country. 

(7) VISA WAIVER INFORMATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—In refusing the application of nationals 

of a program country for United States visas, or the applications of nationals of a country seeking entry into the 

visa waiver program, a consular officer shall not knowingly 

or intentionally classify the refusal of the visa under a category that is not included in the calculation of the visa refusal rate only so that the percentage of that country’s visa 

refusals is less than the percentage limitation applicable to 

qualification for participation in the visa waiver program. 

(B) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—On May 1 of each year, 

for each country under consideration for inclusion in the 

visa waiver program, the Secretary of State shall provide 

to the appropriate congressional committees—

(i) the total number of nationals of that country that 

applied for United States visas in that country during 

the previous calendar year; 

(ii) the total number of such nationals who received 

United States visas during the previous calendar year; 

(iii) the total number of such nationals who were refused United States visas during the previous calendar 

year; 

(iv) the total number of such nationals who were refused United States visas during the previous calendar 

year under each provision of this Act under which the 

visas were refused; and 

(v) the number of such nationals that were refused 

under section 214(b) as a percentage of the visas that 

were issued to such nationals. 

(C) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than May 1 of each year, 

the United States chief of mission, acting or permanent, to 

each country under consideration for inclusion in the visa 

waiver program shall certify to the appropriate congressional committees that the information described in subparagraph (B) is accurate and provide a copy of that certification to those committees. 


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25 

(D) CONSIDERATION OF COUNTRIES IN THE VISA WAIVER

PROGRAM.—Upon notification to the Attorney General that 

a country is under consideration for inclusion in the visa 

waiver program, the Secretary of State shall provide all of 

the information described in subparagraph (B) to the Attorney General. 

(E) DEFINITION.—In this paragraph, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means the Committee on 

the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the 

Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives. 

(d) AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 

State, may for any reason (including national security) refrain from 

waiving the visa requirement in respect to nationals of any country 

which may otherwise qualify for designation or may, at any time, 

rescind any waiver or designation previously granted under this 

section. 

(e) CARRIER AGREEMENTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The agreement referred to in subsection 

(a)(4) is an agreement between a carrier (including any carrier 

conducting operations under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations) or a domestic corporation conducting operations under part 91 of that title and the Attorney General 

under which the carrier (including any carrier conducting operations under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations) 

or a domestic corporation conducting operations under part 91 

of that title agrees, in consideration of the waiver of the visa 

requirement with respect to a nonimmigrant visitor under the 

program—

(A) to indemnify the United States against any costs for 

the transportation of the alien from the United States if 

the visitor is refused admission to the United States or remains in the United States unlawfully after the 90-day period described in subsection (a)(1)(A); 

(B) to submit daily to immigration officers any immigration forms received with respect to nonimmigrant visitors 

provided a waiver under the program; 

(C) to be subject to the imposition of fines resulting from 

the transporting into the United States of a national of a 

designated country without a passport pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Attorney General; and 

(D) to collect, provide, and share passenger data as required under subsection (h)(1)(B). 

(2) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENTS.—The Attorney General 

may terminate an agreement under paragraph (1) with five 

days’ notice to the carrier (including any carrier conducting operations under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations) or a domestic corporation conducting operations under 

part 91 of that title for the failure by a carrier (including any 

carrier conducting operations under part 135 of title 14, Code 

of Federal Regulations) or a domestic corporation conducting 


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26 

operations under part 91 of that title to meet the terms of such 

agreement. 

(3) BUSINESS AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS.— (A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section, a domestic corporation conducting operations under part 91 of title 

14, Code of Federal Regulations that owns or operates a 

noncommercial aircraft is a corporation that is organized 

under the laws of any of the States of the United States 

or the District of Columbia and is accredited by or a member of a national organization that sets business aviation 

standards. The Attorney General shall prescribe by regulation the provision of such information as the Attorney General deems necessary to identify the domestic corporation, 

its officers, employees, shareholders, its place of business, 

and its business activities. 

(B) COLLECTIONS.—In addition to any other fee authorized by law, the Attorney General is authorized to charge 

and collect, on a periodic basis, an amount from each domestic corporation conducting operations under part 91 of 

title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, for nonimmigrant 

visa waiver admissions on noncommercial aircraft owned 

or operated by such domestic corporation equal to the total 

amount of fees assessed for issuance of nonimmigrant visa 

waiver arrival/departure forms at land border ports of 

entry. All fees collected under this paragraph shall be deposited into the Immigration User Fee Account established 

under section 286(h). 

(f) DURATION AND TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—

(A) DETERMINATION AND NOTIFICATION OF DISQUALIFICA- TION RATE.—Upon determination by the Attorney General 

that a program country’s disqualification rate is 2 percent 

or more, the Attorney General shall notify the Secretary of 

State. 

(B) PROBATIONARY STATUS.—If the program country’s 

disqualification rate is greater than 2 percent but less 

than 3.5 percent, the Attorney General shall place the program country in probationary status for a period not to exceed 2 full fiscal years following the year in which the determination under subparagraph (A) is made. 

(C) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION.—Subject to paragraph (3), if the program country’s disqualification rate is 

3.5 percent or more, the Attorney General shall terminate 

the country’s designation as a program country effective at 

the beginning of the second fiscal year following the fiscal 

year in which the determination under subparagraph (A) 

is made. 

(2) TERMINATION OF PROBATIONARY STATUS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Attorney General determines at 

the end of the probationary period described in paragraph 

(1)(B) that the program country placed in probationary status under such paragraph has failed to develop a machinereadable passport program as required by section (c)(2)(C), 

or has a disqualification rate of 2 percent or more, the AtVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:13 Nov 28, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR233.XXX SR233

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torney General shall terminate the designation of the 

country as a program country. If the Attorney General determines that the program country has developed a machine-readable passport program and has a disqualification 

rate of less than 2 percent, the Attorney General shall redesignate the country as a program country. 

(B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—A termination of the designation 

of a country under subparagraph (A) shall take effect on 

the first day of the first fiscal year following the fiscal year 

in which the determination under such subparagraph is 

made. Until such date, nationals of the country shall remain eligible for a waiver under subsection (a). 

(3) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS.—Paragraph 

(1)(C) shall not apply unless the total number of nationals of 

a program country described in paragraph (4)(A) exceeds 100. 

(4) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this subsection, the term 

‘‘disqualification rate’’ means the percentage which—

(A) the total number of nationals of the program country 

who were—

(i) denied admission at the time of arrival or withdrew their application for admission during the most 

recent fiscal year for which data are available; and 

(ii) admitted as nonimmigrant visitors during such 

fiscal year and who violated the terms of such admission; bears to 

(B) the total number of nationals of such country who 

applied for admission as nonimmigrant visitors during 

such fiscal year. 

(5) FAILURE TO REPORT PASSPORT THEFTS.—If the Attorney 

General and the Secretary of State jointly determine that the 

program country is not reporting the theft of blank passports, 

as required by subsection (c)(2)(D), the Attorney General shall 

terminate the designation of the country as a program country. 

(g) VISA APPLICATION SOLE METHOD TO DISPUTE DENIAL OF

WAIVER BASED ON A GROUND OF INADMISSIBILITY.—In the case of 

an alien denied a waiver under the program by reason of a ground 

of inadmissibility described in section 212(a) that is discovered at 

the time of the alien’s application for the waiver or through the use 

of an automated electronic database required under subsection 

(a)(9), the alien may apply for a visa at an appropriate consular office outside the United States. There shall be no other means of administrative or judicial review of such a denial, and no court or 

person otherwise shall have jurisdiction to consider any claim attacking the validity of such a denial. 

(h) USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS.—

(1) AUTOMATED ENTRY-EXIT CONTROL SYSTEM.—

(A) SYSTEM.—Not later than October 1, 2001, the Attorney General shall develop and implement a fully automated entry and exit control system that will collect a 

record of arrival and departure for every alien who arrives 

and departs by sea or air at a port of entry into the United 

States and is provided a waiver under the program. 

(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The system under subparagraph 

(A) shall satisfy the following requirements: 


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28 

(i) DATA COLLECTION BY CARRIERS.—Not later than 

October 1, 2001, the records of arrival and departure 

described in subparagraph (A) shall be based, to the 

maximum extent practicable, on passenger data collected and electronically transmitted to the automated 

entry and exit control system by each carrier that has 

an agreement under subsection (a)(4). 

(ii) DATA PROVISION BY CARRIERS.—Not later than 

October 1, 2002, no waiver may be provided under this 

section to an alien arriving by sea or air at a port of 

entry into the United States on a carrier unless the 

carrier is electronically transmitting to the automated 

entry and exit control system passenger data determined by the Attorney General to be sufficient to permit the Attorney General to carry out this paragraph. 

(iii) CALCULATION.—The system shall contain sufficient data to permit the Attorney General to calculate, 

for each program country and each fiscal year, the portion of nationals of that country who are described in 

subparagraph (A) and for whom no record of departure 

exists, expressed as a percentage of the total number 

of such nationals who are so described. 

(C) REPORTING.— (i) PERCENTAGE OF NATIONALS LACKING DEPARTURE

RECORD.—As part of the annual report required to be 

submitted under section 110(e)(1) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 

1996, the Attorney General shall include a section containing the calculation described in subparagraph 

(B)(iii) for each program country for the previous fiscal 

year, together with an analysis of that information. 

(ii) SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS.—Not later than December 31, 2004, the Attorney General shall submit a 

written report to the Committee on the Judiciary of 

the United States House of Representatives and of the 

Senate containing the following: 

(I) The conclusions of the Attorney General regarding the effectiveness of the automated entry 

and exit control system to be developed and implemented under this paragraph. 

(II) The recommendations of the Attorney General regarding the use of the calculation described 

in subparagraph (B)(iii) as a basis for evaluating 

whether to terminate or continue the designation 

of a country as a program country. The report required by this clause may be combined with the 

annual report required to be submitted on that 

date under section 110(e)(1) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act 

of 1996. 

(2) AUTOMATED DATA SHARING SYSTEM.— (A) SYSTEM.—The Attorney General and the Secretary of 

State shall develop and implement an automated data 

sharing system that will permit them to share data in elecVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:13 Nov 28, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR233.XXX SR233

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tronic form from their respective records systems regarding the admissibility of aliens who are nationals of a program country. 

(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The system under subparagraph 

(A) shall satisfy the following requirements: 

(i) SUPPLYING INFORMATION TO IMMIGRATION OFFI- CERS CONDUCTING INSPECTIONS AT PORTS OF ENTRY.— Not later than October 1, 2002, the system shall enable immigration officers conducting inspections at 

ports of entry under section 235 to obtain from the 

system, with respect to aliens seeking a waiver under 

the program— (I) any photograph of the alien that may be contained in the records of the Department of State 

or the Service; and 

(II) information on whether the alien has ever 

been determined to be ineligible to receive a visa 

or ineligible to be admitted to the United States. 

(ii) SUPPLYING PHOTOGRAPHS OF INADMISSIBLE

ALIENS.—The system shall permit the Attorney General electronically to obtain any photograph contained 

in the records of the Secretary of State pertaining to 

an alien who is a national of a program country and 

has been determined to be ineligible to receive a visa. 

(iii) MAINTAINING RECORDS ON APPLICATIONS FOR AD- MISSION.—The system shall maintain, for a minimum 

of 10 years, information about each application for admission made by an alien seeking a waiver under the 

program, including the following: 

(I) The name or Service identification number of 

each immigration officer conducting the inspection 

of the alien at the port of entry. 

(II) Any information described in clause (i) that 

is obtained from the system by any such officer. 

(III) The results of the application. 

(3) ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM.— (A) SYSTEM.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State, is authorized to 

develop and implement a fully automated electronic travel 

authorization system to collect such basic biographical information as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines to be necessary to determine, in advance of travel, 

the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States 

under the visa waiver program. 

(B) FEES.—The Secretary of Homeland Security may 

charge a fee for the use of the system, which shall be—

(i) set at a level that will ensure recovery of the full 

costs of providing and administering the system; 

(ii) available to pay the costs incurred to administer 

the system; and (iii) include an amount, initially not more than $10, 

for transfer to the Travel Promotion Fund established 

by section 4 of the Travel Promotion Act of 2007 necessary to ensure that the Corporation for Travel ProVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:13 Nov 28, 2007 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\SR233.XXX SR233

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motion established by section 2 of that Act is fully 

funded. 

(C) VALIDITY.— (i) PERIOD.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State shall prescribe 

regulations that provide for a period, not to exceed 3 

years, during which a determination of eligibility to 

travel under the program will be valid. Notwithstanding any other provision under this section, the 

Secretary of Homeland Security may revoke any such 

determination at any time and for any reason. 

(ii) LIMITATION.—A determination that an alien is eligible to travel to the United States under the visa 

waiver program is not a determination that the alien 

is admissible to the United States. 

(iii) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, no court shall have jurisdiction to review an eligibility determination under the system. 

(D) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days before publishing 

notice regarding the implementation of the system in the 

Federal Register, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

submit a report regarding the implementation of the system 

to the Congress. 

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ACT OF 1961 

TITLE II—DUTIES

SEC. 201. POWERS AND DUTIES OF SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 

[22 U.S.C. 2122] 

In order to carry out the national tourism policy established in 

section 101(b) and by the United States National Tourism Organization Act of 1996, the Secretary of øCommerce (hereafter in this 

Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’)¿ Commerce, acting through the 

Under Secretary for Travel Promotion, shall develop and implement 

a comprehensive plan to perform critical tourism functions which, 

in the determination of the Secretary, are not being carried out by 

the United States National Tourism Organization or other private 

sector entities or State governments. Such plan may include programs to—

(1) collect and publish comprehensive international travel 

and tourism statistics and other marketing information; 

(2) design, implement, and publish international travel and 

tourism forecasting models; 

(3) facilitate the reduction or elimination of barriers to international travel and tourism; and 

(4) work with the United States National Tourism Organization, the Tourism Policy Council, State tourism agencies, and 

Federal agencies in—

(A) coordinating the Federal implementation of a national travel and tourism policy; 

(B) representing the United States’ international travel 

and tourism interests to foreign governments; and 

(C) maintaining United States participation in international travel and tourism trade shows and fairs until 


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31 

such activities can be transferred to such Organization and 

other private sector entities. 

SEC. 202. OFFICE OF TRAVEL PROMOTION. 

(a) OFFICE ESTABLISHED.—There is established within the Department of Commerce an office to be known as the Office of Travel 

Promotion. 

(b) UNDER SECRETARY FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of the Office shall be the Under 

Secretary of Commerce for Travel Promotion. The Under Secretary shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Under Secretary shall—

(A) be a citizen of the United States; and 

(B) have experience in a field directly related to the promotion of travel in the United States. 

(3) LIMITATION ON INVESTMENTS.—The Under Secretary may 

not own stock in, or have a direct or indirect beneficial interest 

in, a corporation or other enterprise engaged in the travel, 

transportation, or hospitality business or in a corporation or 

other enterprise that owns or operates theme park or other entertainment facility. 

(c) FUNCTION.—The Under Secretary shall—

(1) serve as liaison to the Corporation for Travel Promotion 

established by section 2 of the Travel Promotion Act of 2007 

and support and encourage the development of programs to increase the number of international visitors to the United States 

for business, leisure, educational, medical, exchange, and other 

purposes; 

(2) work with the Corporation, the Secretary of State, and the 

Secretary of Homeland Security—

(A) to disseminate information more effectively to potential international visitors about documentation and procedures required for admission to the United States as a visitor; and 

(B) to ensure that arriving international visitors are processed efficiently and in a welcoming and respectful manner; 

(3) support State, regional, and private sector initiatives to 

promote travel to and within the United States; 

(4) supervise the operations of the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries; and 

(5) enhance the entry and departure experience for international visitors. 

(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Within a year after the date of enactment of the Travel Promotion Act of 2007, and periodically thereafter as appropriate, the Under Secretary shall transmit a report to 

the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce describing the Under Secretary’s work with the Corporation, 

the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to 

carry out subsection (c)(2). 

SEC. 203. RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries 

shall expand and continue its research and development activities 


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32 

in connection with the promotion of international travel to the 

United States, including— (1) expanding access to the official Mexican travel surveys 

data to provide the States with traveler characteristics and visitation estimates for targeted marketing programs; 

(2) revising the Commerce Department’s Survey of International Travelers questionnaire and report formats to accommodate a new survey instrument, expanding the respondent 

base, improving response rates, and improving market coverage; 

(3) developing estimates of international travel exports (expenditures) on a State-by-State basis to enable each State to 

compare its comparative position to national totals and other 

States; 

(4) evaluate the success of the Corporation in achieving its objectives and carrying out the purposes of the Travel Promotion 

Act of 2007; and 

(5) research to support the annual report required by section 

202(d) of this Act. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to 

be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for fiscal years 2008 

through 2012 such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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