A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants for travel promotion, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.307 | Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
This bill expands the purposes for which the Department of Commerce is authorized to make economic adjustment grants to include travel promotion, and it authorizes Commerce to cover up to 100% of the cost of a travel promotion project.
Further, the bill authorizes the appropriation of $2.25 billion to make these grants to cover costs associated with promoting safe and healthy travel practices and economic recovery in communities impacted by a decline in travel and tourism as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
     authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants for travel 
                   promotion, 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. GRANTS FOR ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 209 of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3149) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``travel promotion 
        (including funding for tourism marketing, marketing research, 
        purchasing advertisements, and attracting business meetings or 
        convention travel),'' after ``technical assistance, 
        training,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``and travel 
        promotion'' after ``planning projects''.
    (b) Cost Sharing.--Section 204(c) of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3144(c)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(4) Special rule for travel promotion.--In the case of a 
        grant for travel promotion under section 209(a), the Secretary 
        may increase the Federal share above the percentage specified 
        in subsection (a) up to 100 percent of the cost of the 
        project.''.
    (c) Grant Amount.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 
grant made with amounts made available under subsection (e) may be in 
an amount that is not more than 75 percent of the difference in revenue 
of the eligible entity from 2019 to 2020.
    (d) Waiver.--Section 209(b)(2) and section 302 of the Public Works 
and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3149(b)(2), 3162) shall 
not apply to a grant made with amounts made available under subsection 
(e).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $2,250,000,000 to make grants under section 209(a) of the 
Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3149(a)) 
to eligible entities for costs associated with tourism marketing and 
promotion activities necessary to promote safe and healthy travel 
practices and economic recovery in communities impacted by a decline in 
travel and tourism as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
19), including--
            (1) to pay costs associated with tourism marketing and 
        promotion activities, including marketing research, necessary 
        to assist with declines in visitation and the economic recovery 
        from lost revenue as a result of COVID-19, including to 
        purchase media advertisements on print, broadcast, or digital 
        media for the purpose of marketing, public awareness, or 
        information campaigns relating to local tourism;
            (2) to pay costs associated with providing information to 
        visitors about the health and safety protections, guidance, or 
        requirements of Federal, State, or local governments and 
        businesses to reduce the spread of COVID-19;
            (3) to pay the increased costs of cleaning and sanitation, 
        including physical modifications to a convention center, large 
        event space, or community attraction associated with 
        precautions to provide for safe worker, traveler, or event 
        environments; or
            (4) to pay the costs of salaries and expenses associated 
        with the operations of the eligible entity, other than salaries 
        and expenses of the executives of the eligible entity.
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