IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 534 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 26, 2017 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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. 

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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HR 534 RFS 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Wants to Com3 pete for a World Expo Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The Bureau of International Expositions 

7 (BIE) is the organization responsible for governing 

8 World Fairs and International Expositions. 

9 (2) Section 1(a) of Public Law 91–269 (22 

10 U.S.C. 2801(a)) found that ‘‘international expo11 sitions * * * have a significant impact on the eco12 nomic growth of the region surrounding the expo13 sition and * * * are important instruments of na14 tional policy’’. 

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

16 member of the BIE since 2001. 

17 (4) State and local governments and private en18 tities in the United States have continued to partici19 pate in international expositions held in foreign 

20 countries as a means of promoting United States ex21 ports and creating jobs, but face significantly higher 

22 costs for such participation because the United 

23 States is not an active member. 

24 (5) State and local governments and private en25 tities in the United States have expressed interest in 

26 an international exposition being hosted in the 


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HR 534 RFS 

1 United States, but the bid of a United States city, 

2 region, or State to host an international exposition 

3 is unlikely to be successful if the United States is 

4 not a member of the BIE. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that— 

7 (1) the United States should rejoin the BIE im8 mediately to promote domestic job creation, global 

9 branding, and tourism to the United States; 

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

11 the Secretary of Commerce, State and local govern12 ments, and private and non-profit entities, should 

13 take all necessary steps to facilitate the timely sub14 mission of a request to rejoin the BIE; and 

15 (3) funding for the participation of the United 

16 States in international expositions or other events 

17 facilitated by the BIE should continue to be pri18 vately solicited and sourced, in accordance with ex19 isting law. 

20 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State is author22 ized to take such actions as the Secretary determines nec23 essary for the United States to rejoin and maintain mem24 bership in the BIE. 


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HR 534 RFS 

1 (b) AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT PRIVATE CON2 TRIBUTIONS.—In addition to funds otherwise available to 

3 the Secretary to carry out this section, the Secretary is 

4 authorized to accept contributions for such purpose. 

5 (c) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary of State shall no6 tify the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropria7 tions of the House of Representatives and the Committees 

8 on Foreign Relations and Appropriations of the Senate 

9 upon taking any action under subsection (a). 

10 SEC. 5. CONTINUATION OF PROHIBITION ON USE OF FED11 ERAL FUNDS FOR WORLD’S FAIR PAVILIONS 

12 AND EXHIBITS. 

13 Nothing in this Act may be construed to authorize 

14 any obligation or expenditure prohibited by section 204 

15 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan For16 eign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 

17 2001 (22 U.S.C. 2452b) (relating to limitations on the 

18 obligation or expenditure of funds by the Department of 

19 State for a United States pavilion or exhibit at an inter20 national exposition or world’s fair registered by the BIE). 

Passed the House of Representatives April 25, 2017. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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