H.R. 4676 – Reading Mode

111th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 4676

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 24, 2010

Mr. Farr 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 competitive grant program to promote domestic regional tourism.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Travel Regional Investment Partnership Act .

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

The importance of travel and tourism cannot be overstated: travel and tourism employs America.

(2)

Approximately 8,300,000 domestic jobs depend on the travel and tourism industry.

(3)

The United States travel and tourism industry is worth more than $691,000,000,000 annually in direct spending, of which more than 85 percent is the result of domestic travel. Including indirect spending, such industry tops $1,200,000,000,000 in spending.

(4)

The travel and tourism industry accounts for 2.6 percent of GDP, nearly four times that of the automotive industry.

(5)

Domestic employment related to the travel and tourism industry cannot be outsourced to other countries.

(6)

The current economic downturn has created the most difficult economic environment for the domestic travel and tourism industry since the period following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

(7)

The travel and tourism industry has contracted by nearly $130,000,000,000 in 2009 alone. The domestic tourism economy has fallen by nearly 4.5 percent during 2009, twice the rate of the overall economy of the United States.

(8)

Domestic spending on travel and tourism has been in decline since the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008, while employment in the travel and tourism industry has been falling since the second quarter of such year.

(9)

Public-private partnerships have been underutilized in the promotion of travel and tourism and are a dynamic tool in creating new domestic tourism markets and promoting domestic regional tourism growth.

Domestic regional tourism grant program

(a)

Establishment by Secretary of Commerce

The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a competitive grant program, administered by the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, to promote domestic regional tourism growth and new domestic tourism market creation.

(b)

Range of grant monetary amounts

No grant shall be less than $100,000 or more than $1,000,000.

(c)

Grantee eligibility requirements

(1)

Eligible entities

The following entities are eligible for a grant under this section for the purposes of promoting domestic regional tourism growth and new domestic tourism market creation:

(A)

A Convention and Visitors Bureau.

(B)

A partnership between a State or local government and a local tourism entities.

(2)

Application process

(A)

Submission

An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such form, and with such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.

(B)

Contents

Such application shall include—

(i)

a description of the tourist promotion activities that the grant will fund; and

(ii)

in the case of a partnership between a State or local government and local tourism entities—

(I)

the specific tourist entities that such government has partnered with in order promote tourism within the relevant domestic region; and

(II)

the details of the partnership and specific information as to how such partnership will increase regional tourism.

(d)

Matching requirement

(1)

Non-Federal funds

As a condition of receipt of a grant under this section, the grant recipient shall provide, either directly or through donations 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 required under paragraph (1), not more than 25 percent shall be provided through in-kind contributions.

(e)

Reports

Not later than 6 months after the end of each fiscal year in which grants were awarded by the Secretary under this section, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on—

(1)

travel-generated expenditures;

(2)

travel-generated tax receipts; and

(3)

travel-generated employment.

(f)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce.

(2)

Local tourist entity

The term local tourist entity means any public or private sector business engaged in tourism-related activities.

(g)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years that begin after the date of enactment of this section for grants under this section, and such amounts appropriated shall remain available until expended.