S.Amdt. 2621

SA 2621. Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Daines, and Mr.
Sullivan) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment
SA 2499 proposed by Mr. McConnell to the bill S. 178, to condemn gross
human rights violations of ethnic Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, and
calling for an end to arbitrary detention, torture, and harassment of
these communities inside and outside China; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:

At the end, add the following:

SEC. 3. SUSTAINING TOURISM ENTERPRISES DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.

(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Act'' or the ``STEP Act''.
(b) Tourism and Events Support and Promotion.--Title II of
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 is
amended by inserting after section 207 (42 U.S.C. 3147) the
following:

``SEC. 208. TOURISM AND EVENTS SUPPORT AND PROMOTION.

``(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of the Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the
COVID-19 Pandemic Act, the Secretary shall provide grants to
eligible entities--
``(1) to assist with loss of revenue due to the economic
impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); and
``(2) to promote economic recovery in communities affected
by a decline in tourism and events due to COVID-19.
``(b) Eligible Entities.--An entity eligible to receive a
grant under this section is an entity that performs tourism
promotion responsibilities, hosts, organizes, owns, operates,
or staffs an event venue, a convention, or a trade show, or
provides services as a concessionaire to events and tourism
locations, including--
``(1) a State tourism board or department;
``(2) a political subdivision or instrumentality of a State
or local government;
``(3) a unit of local government, including a county
government;
``(4) a Tribal government;
``(5) a multijurisdictional or regional group;
``(6) a nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of that Code;
``(7) a quasi-governmental organization; and
``(8) a private business.
``(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
``(d) Selection.--The Secretary shall select eligible
entities to receive grants under this section based on
factors to be determined by the Secretary, using the best
available data, including economic impact information
provided by applicants, such as information on job losses
faced by the eligible entity or within the industry of the
eligible entity, to address the economic recovery needs in
areas impacted by the decline in travel, tourism, and events
activities, and the associated revenues, due to COVID-19.
``(e) Use of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity may use the funds
from a grant under this section--
``(A) to pay costs associated with tourism marketing and
promotion activities necessary to assist with economic
recovery from lost revenue due to COVID-19, including to
purchase advertisements from local media outlets, including
on radio and television broadcast stations and in newspapers,
for the purpose of marketing, public awareness, or
information campaigns relating to local tourism;
``(B) to pay costs to promote economic recovery in
communities impacted by a decline in travel, tourism, and
events revenue as a result of COVID-19, including through the
provision of information on the safety and security of sites
for traveler or attendee awareness;
``(C) to pay cleaning and sanitary costs, including
physical modifications, associated with precautions to
provide for safe worker, traveler, or event environments; and
``(D) to pay the costs of salaries and expenses associated
with the operations of the eligible entity with respect to
activities described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C).
``(2) Prohibition.--Funds from a grant under this section
may not be used for activities related to or for purposes of
lobbying any governmental entity.
``(f) Distribution.--Of the amounts made available to carry
out this section--
``(1) $2,000,000,000 shall be for expedited grants to
eligible entities to offset revenue losses due to the
economic impact of COVID-19; and
``(2) any remaining amounts shall be for grants for
activities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of
subsection (e)(1).
``(g) Maximum Amount of Grant.--An eligible entity may not
receive a grant under this section in an amount that is--
``(1) in the case of a grant under subsection (f)(1), more
than 80 percent of the loss in revenue experienced by the
eligible entity during the period beginning March 1, 2020,
and ending on the date of submission of the application, as
compared to the same period in 2019; and
``(2) in the case of a grant under subsection (f)(2), more
than 80 percent of the revenue of the eligible entity during
calendar year 2019.
``(h) Limitation.--
``(1) In general.--Not more than 15 percent of the amounts
made available to carry out this section may be used to
provide grants to eligible entities that are private
businesses.
``(2) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority for the
amounts under paragraph (1) to private businesses that are
small business concerns (within the meaning of section 3 of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)).
``(i) No CEDS Required.--To receive a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall not be required to have a
comprehensive economic development strategy.
``(j) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive, or specify
alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or
regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with
a grant under this section if the Secretary determines that
any such waivers or alternative requirements are necessary to
expedite or facilitate the use of the amounts made available
under this section.
``(k) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding section 204, the
Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out with a
grant under this section shall be 100 percent.
``(l) Administration.--
``(1) In general.--Not more than 2 percent of the amounts
made available to carry out this section may be used for the
administrative costs of carrying out this section.
``(2) Staffing.--
``(A) Temporary appointment.--The Secretary may appoint and
fix the compensation

[[Page S5314]]

of such temporary personnel as may be necessary to carry out
this section, without regard to the provisions of title 5,
United States Code, governing appointments in competitive
service.
``(B) Permanent appointment.--
``(i) In general.--In the case of an individual appointed
as temporary personnel under subparagraph (A) who has served
continuously for not less than 2 years, the Secretary may
appoint that individual to a position in the Economic
Development Administration in the same manner that
competitive service employees with competitive status are
considered for transfer, reassignment, or promotion to such
positions.
``(ii) Treatment.--An individual appointed to a position
under clause (i) shall become a career-conditional employee,
unless the employee has already completed the service
requirements for career tenure.
``(3) Investigations and audits.--The Secretary shall use
$3,000,000 of the amounts made available to carry out this
section to carry out investigations and audits related to the
provision of grants under this section.
``(m) Funding.--
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$10,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2022.
``(2) Additional funding.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the Secretary may use any amounts made
available to the Secretary under the heading `economic
development assistance programs (including transfers of
funds)' under the heading `Economic Development
Administration' under the heading `DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE' in
title II of division B of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136)
that are unobligated as of the date of enactment of the
Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Act to provide grants under this section.''.
______