I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1409 

To amend the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to further enhance the 

promotion of exports of United States goods and services, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 9, 2013 

Mr. ENGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to further 

enhance the promotion of exports of United States goods 

and services, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Export Promotion Re5 form Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVED COORDINATION EXPORT PROMOTION 

2 ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

3 Section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 

4 1988 (relating to the Trade Promotion Coordinating Com5 mittee; 15 U.S.C. 4727) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (b)— 

7 (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

8 after the semicolon; 

9 (B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as 

10 paragraph (7); and 

11 (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 

12 following: 

13 ‘‘(6) in making the assessments under para14 graph (5), review the proposed annual budget of 

15 each agency described in paragraph (5), under pro16 cedures established by the TPCC for such review, 

17 before the agency submits that budget to the Office 

18 of Management and Budget and the President for 

19 inclusion in the budget of the United States sub20 mitted to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31, 

21 United States Code; and’’; 

22 (2) in subsection (c)— 

23 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) 

24 through (6) as paragraphs (4) through (7), re25 spectively; and 


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1 (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(3) in conducting the review and developing 

4 the plan under paragraph (2), take into account rec5 ommendations from a representative number of 

6 United States exporters, in particular small busi7 nesses and medium-sized businesses, and representa8 tives of United States workers;’’; and 

9 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(g) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President shall take 

11 such steps as are necessary to provide the chairperson of 

12 the TPCC with the authority to ensure that the TPCC 

13 carries out each of its duties under subsection (b) and de14 velops and implements the strategic plan under subsection 

15 (c). 

16 ‘‘(h) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘small 

17 business’ means a small business concern as defined under 

18 section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).’’. 

19 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. COMMERCIAL 

20 SERVICE RESOURCES. 

21 Section 2301(c)(4) of the Export Enhancement Act 

22 of 1988 (relating to the United States and Foreign Com23 mercial Service; 15 U.S.C. 4721(c)(4)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 

2 through (F) as subparagraphs (C) through (G), re3 spectively; and 

4 (2) by striking ‘‘(4) FOREIGN OFFICES.—(A) 

5 The Secretary may’’ and inserting the following: 

6 ‘‘(4) FOREIGN OFFICES.—(A)(i) In consultation 

7 with the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, 

8 the Secretary shall conduct a global assessment of 

9 overseas markets to determine those with the great10 est potential for increasing United States exports, 

11 and to deploy the Commercial Service personnel and 

12 other resources on the basis of the global assess13 ment. 

14 ‘‘(ii) The assessment conducted under clause (i) 

15 shall take into account recommendations from a rep16 resentative number of United States exporters, in 

17 particular small- and medium-sized businesses, and 

18 representatives of United States workers. 

19 ‘‘(iii) Not later than 6 months after the date of 

20 enactment of the Export Promotion Reform Act, the 

21 Secretary shall submit to Congress results of the 

22 global assessment conducted under clause (i) and a 

23 plan for deployment of Commercial Service per24 sonnel and other resources on the basis of the global 

25 assessment. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) The Secretary shall conduct an assess2 ment and deployment described in clause (i) not less 

3 than once in every 5-year period. 

4 ‘‘(B) The Secretary may’’. 

5 SEC. 4. STRENGTHENED U.S. COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IN 

6 SUPPORT OF U.S. EXPORTS. 

7 (a) DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN.—Section 207(c) of the 

8 Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3927(c)) is 

9 amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol10 lowing: ‘‘, including through the development of a plan, 

11 drafted in consultation with the Trade Promotion Coordi12 nating Committee, for effective diplomacy to remove or re13 duce obstacles to exports of United States goods and serv14 ices’’. 

15 (b) ASSESSMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.—Section 

16 603(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 

17 4003(b)) is amended, in the second sentence, by inserting 

18 after ‘‘expertise’’ the following: ‘‘and (with respect to 

19 members of the Service with responsibilities relating to 

20 economic affairs) of the effectiveness of efforts to promote 

21 the export of United States goods and services in accord22 ance with a commercial diplomacy plan developed pursu23 ant to section 207(c),’’. 


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1 (c) INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Section 209(b) of the 

2 Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3929(b)) is 

3 amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

5 end; 

6 (2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as para7 graph (6); and 

8 (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the fol9 lowing new paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(5) the effectiveness of commercial diplomacy 

11 relating to the promotion of exports of United States 

12 goods and services; and’’. 

Æ 


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