I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3484 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competitive grant program 
to promote domestic regional tourism. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 18, 2011 
Mr. FARR (for himself, Ms. BERKLEY, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. OLVER, Mr. 
DICKS, and Mr. REYES) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competi-
tive grant program to promote domestic regional tourism. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Travel Regional Invest-
ment Partnership Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The importance of travel and tourism can-
not be overstated. Travel and tourism employs 
America. 
(2) Approximately 7,720,000 domestic jobs de-
pend on the travel and tourism industry. 
(3) The travel and tourism industry accounts 
for 2.8 percent of the Nation’s gross domestic prod-
uct. 
(4) The travel and tourism industry generates 
$1,300,000,000,000 in total expenditures. 
(5) The travel and tourism industry lost 
392,000 jobs in 2009. 
(6) In 2009, tourism output declined by 
$100,000,000,000. 
(7) Total direct tourism employment decreased 
by 0.5 percent in 2010. 
(8) Public-private partnerships have been un-
derutilized in the promotion of travel and tourism 
and are a dynamic tool in creating new domestic 
tourism markets and promoting domestic regional 
tourism growth. 
SEC. 3. DOMESTIC REGIONAL TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a competitive grant program, to be administered by the 
Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, to promote do-
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mestic regional tourism growth and new domestic tourism 
market creation. 
(b) RANGE OF GRANT MONETARY AMOUNTS.—The 
amount of each grant awarded under this section shall be 
not less than $100,000 and not more than $1,000,000. 
(c) GRANTEE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—Grants may be 
awarded under this section to— 
(A) State tourism offices; 
(B) local destination marketing organiza-
tions; and 
(C) partnerships between a State or local 
government and local tourism entities. 
(2) REGIONAL DIVERSITY.—In awarding grants 
under this section, the Secretary may consider— 
(A) giving priority to regions with low con-
tributions to tourism marketing; 
(B) maintaining regional diversity of grant 
recipients; and 
(C) providing benefits to rural and less- 
marketed destinations. 
(3) USE
OF
FUNDS.—Grants awarded under 
this section may be used to— 
(A) promote domestic regional tourism 
growth; and 
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(B) create new domestic tourism markets. 
(4) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 
(A) SUBMISSION.—An eligible entity seek-
ing a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such form, and with such information and as-
surances as the Secretary may require. 
(B) CONTENTS.—Each application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall include— 
(i) a description of the tourist pro-
motion activities to be funded by the grant; 
and 
(ii) in the case of a partnership be-
tween a State or local government and 
local tourism entities— 
(I) a list of the specific tourist 
entities that such government has 
partnered with to promote tourism 
within the relevant domestic region; 
(II) the details of the partnership 
agreement; 
(III) specific information explain-
ing how such partnership will increase 
regional tourism; and 
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(IV) the anticipated positive im-
pact of the partnership on job cre-
ation and employment in the relevant 
domestic region. 
(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.—As a condition for 
receiving a grant under this section, the grant recipi-
ent shall provide, either directly or through dona-
tions from public or private entities, non-Federal 
matching funds, in cash or in-kind, in an amount 
equal to the amount of the grant. 
(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR IN-KIND DONATIONS.— 
Of the amount of non-Federal matching funds re-
quired under paragraph (1), not more than 25 per-
cent may be provided through in-kind contributions. 
(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 6 months after the last 
day of each fiscal year in which grants are awarded by 
the Secretary under this section, the Secretary shall sub-
mit a report to Congress that details— 
(1) travel-generated expenditures; 
(2) travel-generated tax receipts; and 
(3) travel-generated employment. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) LOCAL TOURIST ENTITY.—The term ‘‘local 
tourist entity’’ means any public or private sector 
business engaged in tourism-related activities. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated, for each of the first 5 fiscal 
years beginning after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, $10,000,000, which shall be used for grants under 
this section and shall remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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