PUBLIC LAW 115–32—MAY 8, 2017 131 STAT. 843 

Public Law 115–32 

115th Congress 

An Act 

To require the Secretary of State to take such actions as may be necessary for 

the United States to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions, and for 

other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Wants to Compete for 

a World Expo Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) The Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) is the 

organization responsible for governing World Fairs and International Expositions. 

(2) Section 1(a) of Public Law 91–269 (22 U.S.C. 2801(a)) 

found that ‘‘international expositions . . . have a significant 

impact on the economic growth of the region surrounding the 

exposition and . . . are important instruments of national 

policy’’. 

(3) The United States has not been an active member 

of the BIE since 2001. 

(4) State and local governments and private entities in 

the United States have continued to participate in international 

expositions held in foreign countries as a means of promoting 

United States exports and creating jobs, but face significantly 

higher costs for such participation because the United States 

is not an active member. 

(5) State and local governments and private entities in 

the United States have expressed interest in an international 

exposition being hosted in the United States, but the bid of 

a United States city, region, or State to host an international 

exposition is unlikely to be successful if the United States 

is not a member of the BIE. 

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

It is the sense of Congress that— 

(1) the United States should rejoin the BIE immediately 

to promote domestic job creation, global branding, and tourism 

to the United States; and 

(2) the Secretary of State, in partnership with the Secretary 

of Commerce, State and local governments, and private and 

non-profit entities, should take all necessary steps to facilitate 

the timely submission of a request to rejoin the BIE. 

22 USC 2452b 

note. 

22 USC 2452b 

note. 

U.S. Wants to 

Compete for a 

World Expo Act. 

22 USC 2452b 

note. 

May 8, 2017 

[H.R. 534] 


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131 STAT. 844 PUBLIC LAW 115–32—MAY 8, 2017 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 534: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 

Apr. 25, considered and passed House. 

May 4, considered and passed Senate, amended. House concurred in Senate 

amendment. 

Æ 

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State is authorized to take 

such actions as the Secretary determines necessary for the United 

States to rejoin and maintain membership in the BIE. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.—In 

addition to funds otherwise available to the Secretary to carry 

out this section, the Secretary is authorized to accept contributions 

for such purpose. 

(c) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary of State shall notify the 

Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House 

of Representatives and the Committees on Foreign Relations and 

Appropriations of the Senate upon taking any action under subsection (a). 

SEC. 5. CONTINUATION OF PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS 

FOR WORLD’S FAIR PAVILIONS AND EXHIBITS. 

(a) CONTINUATION OF PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this Act may 

be construed to authorize any obligation or expenditure prohibited 

by section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan 

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 

(22 U.S.C. 2452b) (relating to limitations on the obligation or 

expenditure of funds by the Department of State for a United 

States pavilion or exhibit at an international exposition or world’s 

fair registered by the BIE). 

(b) PROHIBITION ON SOLICITATION OF FUNDS.—Section 

204(b)(1)(C) of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan 

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 

(22 U.S.C. 2452b(b)(1)(C)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘expositions’’ the following: ‘‘, except that no employees of the Department 

of State may, in their official capacity, solicit funds to pay expenses 

for a United States pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition or world’s fair registered by the Bureau of 

International Expositions’’. 

Approved May 8, 2017. 

22 USC 2452b 

note. 

22 USC 2452b 

note. 


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