II 

Calendar No. 345 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1579 

[Report No. 114–201] 

To enhance and integrate Native American tourism, empower Native American communities, increase coordination and collaboration between Federal tourism assets, and expand heritage and cultural tourism opportunities in the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 16, 2015 

Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. THUNE, Mr. UDALL, Mr. HELLER, Mr. 

TESTER, Mr. FRANKEN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. SULLIVAN, 

Ms. HEITKAMP, Mr. HOEVEN, and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

JANUARY 12, 2016 

Reported by Mr. BARRASSO, without amendment 

A BILL 

To enhance and integrate Native American tourism, empower 

Native American communities, increase coordination and 

collaboration between Federal tourism assets, and expand 

heritage and cultural tourism opportunities in the United 

States. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Native American Tour3 ism and Improving Visitor Experience Act’’ or the ‘‘NA4 TIVE Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

6 The purposes of this Act are— 

7 (1) to enhance and integrate Native American 

8 tourism— 

9 (A) to empower Native American commu10 nities; and 

11 (B) to advance the National Travel and 

12 Tourism Strategy; 

13 (2) to increase coordination and collaboration 

14 between Federal tourism assets to support Native 

15 American tourism and bolster recreational travel and 

16 tourism; 

17 (3) to expand heritage and cultural tourism op18 portunities in the United States to spur economic 

19 development, create jobs, and increase tourism reve20 nues; 

21 (4) to enhance and improve self-determination 

22 and self-governance capabilities in the Native Amer23 ican community and to promote greater self-suffi24 ciency; 

25 (5) to encourage Indian tribes and tribal orga26 nizations to engage more fully in Native American 


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1 tourism activities to increase visitation to rural and 

2 remote areas in the United States that are too dif3 ficult to access or are unknown to domestic travelers 

4 and international tourists; 

5 (6) to provide grants, loans, and technical as6 sistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations 

7 that will— 

8 (A) spur important infrastructure develop9 ment; 

10 (B) increase tourism capacity; and 

11 (C) elevate living standards in Native 

12 American communities; and 

13 (7) to support the development of techno14 logically innovative projects that will incorporate rec15 reational travel and tourism information and data 

16 from Federal assets to improve the visitor experi17 ence. 

18 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

19 In this Act: 

20 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

21 meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, 

22 United States Code. 

23 (2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

24 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 


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1 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

2 Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 

3 (3) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘tribal orga5 nization’’ has the meaning given the term in 

6 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 

7 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 

8 (B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘tribal organi9 zation’’ includes a Native Hawaiian organiza10 tion (as defined in section 7207 of the Native 

11 Hawaiian Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7517)). 

12 SEC. 4. INTEGRATING FEDERAL TOURISM ASSETS TO 

13 STRENGTHEN NATIVE TOURISM OPPORTUNI14 TIES. 

15 (a) SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND SECRETARY OF

16 THE INTERIOR.—The Secretary of Commerce and the 

17 Secretary of the Interior shall update the respective man18 agement plans and tourism initiatives of the Department 

19 of Commerce and the Department of the Interior to in20 clude Indian tribes and tribal organizations. 

21 (b) OTHER AGENCIES.—The head of each agency 

22 that has recreational travel or tourism functions or com23 plementary programs shall update the respective manage24 ment plans and tourism strategies of the agency to include 

25 Indian tribes and tribal organizations. 


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1 (c) NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM PLANS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The plans shall outline pol3 icy proposals— 

4 (A) to improve travel and tourism data col5 lection and analysis; 

6 (B) to increase the integration, alignment, 

7 and utility of public records, publications, and 

8 Web sites maintained by Federal agencies; 

9 (C) to create a better user experience for 

10 domestic travelers and international visitors; 

11 (D) to align Federal agency Web sites and 

12 publications; 

13 (E) to support national tourism goals; 

14 (F) to identify agency programs that could 

15 be used to support tourism capacity building 

16 and help sustain tourism infrastructure in Na17 tive American communities; 

18 (G) to develop innovative visitor portals for 

19 parks, landmarks, heritage and cultural sites, 

20 and assets that showcase and respect the diver21 sity of the indigenous peoples of the United 

22 States; 

23 (H) to share local Native American herit24 age through the development of bilingual inter25 pretive and directional signage that could inVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Jan 13, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1579.RS S1579

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1 clude or incorporate English and the local Na2 tive American language or languages; and 

3 (I) to improve access to transportation 

4 programs related to Native American commu5 nity capacity building for tourism and trade, in6 cluding transportation planning for programs 

7 related to visitor enhancement and safety. 

8 (2) CONSULTATION WITH INDIAN TRIBES AND

9 NATIVE AMERICANS.—In developing the plan under 

10 paragraph (1), the head of each agency shall consult 

11 with Indian tribes and the Native American commu12 nity to identify appropriate levels of inclusion of the 

13 Indian tribes and Native Americans in Federal tour14 ism activities, public records and publications, in15 cluding Native American tourism information avail16 able on Web sites. 

17 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte19 rior, in consultation with the Secretary of Com20 merce, shall enter into a memorandum of under21 standing or cooperative agreement with an entity or 

22 organization with a demonstrated record in tribal 

23 communities of defining, introducing, developing, 

24 and sustaining American Indian, Alaska Native, and 

25 Native Hawaiian tourism and related activities in a 


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1 manner that respects and honors native traditions 

2 and values. 

3 (2) COORDINATION.—The memorandum of un4 derstanding or cooperative agreement described in 

5 paragraph (1) shall formalize a role for the organi6 zation or entity to serve as a facilitator between the 

7 Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Com8 merce and the Indian tribes and tribal organiza9 tions— 

10 (A) to identify areas where technical as11 sistance is needed through consultations with 

12 Indian tribes and tribal organizations to em13 power the Indian tribes and tribal organizations 

14 to participate fully in the tourism industry; and 

15 (B) to provide a means for the delivery of 

16 technical assistance and coordinate the delivery 

17 of the assistance to Indian tribes and tribal or18 ganizations in collaboration with the Secretary 

19 of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and 

20 other entities with distinctive experience, as ap21 propriate. 

22 (3) FUNDING.—Subject to the availability of 

23 appropriations, the head of each Federal agency, in24 cluding the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary 

25 of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, the 


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1 Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health 

2 and Human Services, and the Secretary of Labor 

3 shall obligate any funds made available to the head 

4 of the agency to cover any administrative expenses 

5 incurred by the organization or entity described in 

6 paragraph (1) in carrying out programs or activities 

7 of the agency. 

8 (4) METRICS.—The Secretary of the Interior 

9 and the Secretary of Commerce shall coordinate with 

10 the organization or entity described in paragraph (1) 

11 to develop metrics to measure the effectiveness of 

12 the entity or organization in strengthening tourism 

13 opportunities for Indian tribes and tribal organiza14 tions. 

15 (e) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

16 of enactment of this Act, and occasionally thereafter, the 

17 Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce 

18 shall each submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of 

19 the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of 

20 the House of Representatives a report that describes— 

21 (1) the manner in which the Secretary of the 

22 Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as applica23 ble, is including Indian tribes and tribal organiza24 tions in management plans; 


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1 (2) the efforts of the Secretary of the Interior 

2 or the Secretary of Commerce, as applicable, to de3 velop departmental and agency tourism plans to sup4 port tourism programs of Indian tribes and tribal 

5 organizations; 

6 (3) the manner in which the entity or organiza7 tion described in subsection (d)(1) is working to pro8 mote tourism to empower Indian tribes and tribal 

9 organizations to participate fully in the tourism in10 dustry; and 

11 (4) the effectiveness of the entity or organiza12 tion described in subsection (d)(1) based on the 

13 metrics developed under subsection (d)(4). 

14 SEC. 5. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM AND BRANDING EN15 HANCEMENT. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The head of each agency shall— 

17 (1) take actions that help empower Indian 

18 tribes and tribal organizations to showcase the herit19 age, foods, traditions, history, and continuing vital20 ity of the Indian tribes and tribal organizations; 

21 (2) support the efforts of Indian tribes and 

22 tribal organizations— 

23 (A) to identify and enhance or maintain 

24 traditions and cultural features that are imporVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Jan 13, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1579.RS S1579

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1 tant to sustain the distinctiveness of the local 

2 Native American community; and 

3 (B) to provide visitor experiences that are 

4 authentic and respectful; 

5 (3) provide assistance to interpret the connec6 tions between the indigenous peoples of the United 

7 States and the national identity of the United 

8 States; 

9 (4) enhance efforts to promote understanding 

10 and respect for diverse cultures and subcultures in 

11 the United States and the relevance of those cul12 tures to the national brand of the United States; 

13 and 

14 (5) enter into appropriate memoranda of under15 standing and establish public-private partnerships to 

16 ensure that arriving domestic travelers at airports 

17 and arriving international visitors at ports of entry 

18 are welcomed in a manner that both showcases and 

19 respects the diversity of Indian tribes and tribal or20 ganizations. 

21 (b) GRANTS.—To the extent practicable, grants ad22 ministered by the Commissioner of the Administration for 

23 Native Americans, Chairman of the National Endowment 

24 for the Arts, Chairman of the National Endowment for 

25 the Humanities, and any other grant program adminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Jan 13, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1579.RS S1579

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1 tered by the head of an agency for which Indian tribes 

2 or tribal organizations are eligible may be used— 

3 (1) to support the efforts of Indian tribes and 

4 tribal organizations to tell the story of those Indian 

5 tribes and tribal organizations as the First Peoples 

6 of the United States; 

7 (2) to use the arts and humanities to help revi8 talize Native communities, promote economic devel9 opment, increase livability, and present the unique10 ness of the United States to visitors in a way that 

11 celebrates the diversity of the United States; and 

12 (3) to carry out this section. 

13 (c) SMITHSONIAN.—The Advisory Council and the 

14 Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution shall 

15 work with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and non16 profit organizations to establish long-term partnerships 

17 with non-Smithsonian museums and educational and cul18 tural organizations— 

19 (1) to share collections, exhibitions, interpretive 

20 materials, and educational strategies; and 

21 (2) to conduct joint research and collaborative 

22 projects that would support tourism efforts for In23 dian tribes and tribal organizations and carry out 

24 the intent of this section. 


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Calendar No. 345 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1579 

[Report No. 114–201] 

A BILL 

To enhance and integrate Native American tourism, 

tourism opportunities in the United States. tourism assets, and expand heritage and cultural coordination and collaboration between Federal empower Native American communities, increase 

JANUARY 12, 2016 

Reported without amendment 


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