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
PL 115-32 (H.R.534), enacted 05/08/2017

131 STAT. 843 
PUBLIC LAW 115–32—MAY 8, 2017 
Public Law 115–32 
115th Congress 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Wants to Compete for 
a World Expo Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) is the 
organization responsible for governing World Fairs and Inter-
national Expositions. 
(2) Section 1(a) of Public Law 91–269 (22 U.S.C. 2801(a)) 
found that ‘‘international expositions . . . have a significant 
impact on the economic growth of the region surrounding the 
exposition and . . . are important instruments of national 
policy’’. 
(3) The United States has not been an active member 
of the BIE since 2001. 
(4) State and local governments and private entities in 
the United States have continued to participate in international 
expositions held in foreign countries as a means of promoting 
United States exports and creating jobs, but face significantly 
higher costs for such participation because the United States 
is not an active member. 
(5) State and local governments and private entities in 
the United States have expressed interest in an international 
exposition being hosted in the United States, but the bid of 
a United States city, region, or State to host an international 
exposition is unlikely to be successful if the United States 
is not a member of the BIE. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States should rejoin the BIE immediately 
to promote domestic job creation, global branding, and tourism 
to the United States; and 
(2) the Secretary of State, in partnership with the Secretary 
of Commerce, State and local governments, and private and 
non-profit entities, should take all necessary steps to facilitate 
the timely submission of a request to rejoin the BIE. 
22 USC 2452b 
note. 
22 USC 2452b 
note. 
U.S. Wants to 
Compete for a 
World Expo Act. 
22 USC 2452b 
note. 
May 8, 2017 
[H.R. 534] 
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131 STAT. 844 
PUBLIC LAW 115–32—MAY 8, 2017 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 534: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 
Apr. 25, considered and passed House. 
May 4, considered and passed Senate, amended. House concurred in Senate 
amendment. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State is authorized to take 
such actions as the Secretary determines necessary for the United 
States to rejoin and maintain membership in the BIE. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.—In 
addition to funds otherwise available to the Secretary to carry 
out this section, the Secretary is authorized to accept contributions 
for such purpose. 
(c) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary of State shall notify the 
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives and the Committees on Foreign Relations and 
Appropriations of the Senate upon taking any action under sub-
section (a). 
SEC. 5. CONTINUATION OF PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS 
FOR WORLD’S FAIR PAVILIONS AND EXHIBITS. 
(a) CONTINUATION OF PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this Act may 
be construed to authorize any obligation or expenditure prohibited 
by section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 
(22 U.S.C. 2452b) (relating to limitations on the obligation or 
expenditure of funds by the Department of State for a United 
States pavilion or exhibit at an international exposition or world’s 
fair registered by the BIE). 
(b) 
PROHIBITION
ON
SOLICITATION
OF
FUNDS.—Section 
204(b)(1)(C) of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 
(22 U.S.C. 2452b(b)(1)(C)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘expo-
sitions’’ the following: ‘‘, except that no employees of the Department 
of State may, in their official capacity, solicit funds to pay expenses 
for a United States pavilion or other major exhibit at any inter-
national exposition or world’s fair registered by the Bureau of 
International Expositions’’. 
Approved May 8, 2017. 
22 USC 2452b 
note. 
22 USC 2452b 
note. 
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