H.R. 6965House117th Congress (2021-2023)Passed House

Visit America Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 9:51 AM UTC

The Visit America Act creates a new Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to set annual goals for international visitors and tourism revenue, coordinate federal agencies, and promote both international and domestic tourism. It also requires a ten‑year national travel and tourism strategy, establishes a Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, and mandates data collection and reporting to aid recovery from COVID‑19 and other disasters.

Key Provisions

Adds three additional Assistant Secretaries, including the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, who is appointed by the President with Senate consent and reports to the Under Secretary for International Trade.
The Assistant Secretary must establish annual visitation goals, develop recommendations, work with federal agencies and industry partners, and produce an annual forecast on tourism employment, inbound volume, and spending.
Requires a COVID‑19 recovery strategy and future disaster recovery plans for the travel and tourism industry, including cost‑benefit analyses of health mitigation measures.
Mandates the Secretary of Commerce to develop and submit a ten‑year travel and tourism strategy to Congress at least every ten years, outlining goals, resource needs, and policy changes.
Creates the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, to advise on travel and tourism policy and assist with recovery strategies.
Directs the Secretary of Commerce, subject to appropriations, to collect and publicly release aggregate data on domestic travel and tourism trends.

Legislative Activity

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18 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate.

October 11, 2022

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 7, 2022

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Energy and Commerce Committee

March 7, 2022

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee

March 8, 2022

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Discharged.

Energy and Commerce Committee

September 21, 2022

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Energy and Commerce Committee

September 21, 2022

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 56 - 0.

Energy and Commerce Committee

September 21, 2022

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 117-508, Part I.

Energy and Commerce Committee

September 28, 2022

HouseCommittee

Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.

Foreign Affairs Committee

September 28, 2022

HouseCommittee

Committee on the Judiciary discharged.

Judiciary Committee

September 28, 2022

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 382.

September 28, 2022

HouseFloor

Ms. Schakowsky moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

September 28, 2022 • 4:18 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8155-8157)

September 28, 2022 • 4:19 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6965.

September 28, 2022 • 4:19 PM

HouseFloor

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

September 28, 2022 • 4:31 PM

HouseFloor

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8274-8275)

September 29, 2022 • 4:09 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 325 - 93 (Roll no. 466).

View vote Passed

September 29, 2022 • 4:18 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 325 - 93 (Roll no. 466). (text: CR H8155-8156)

View vote Passed

September 29, 2022 • 4:18 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 29, 2022 • 4:18 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate.

October 11, 2022

Voting History

1 vote recorded • Roll call available

HOUSE

Roll Call Available

September 29, 2022 at 4:14 PM

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended

Majority required: 2/3 (66.7%)

Passed

325 - 93

Floor Debate

6 members

What members said about H.R. 6965 on the floor

2 Republicans4 Democrats

Rep. Janice D. SchakowskyD-IL-9 · Sep 28, 2022

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6965) to promote travel and tourism in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6965) to promote travel and tourism in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6965.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America Act.

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, America's travel and tourism industry has been seriously upended. The pandemic caused a 48 percent reduction for the industry in 2020. The bipartisan Visit America Act is the latest bill that the House has brought to the floor to help turn the tide for a sector that has not rebounded as quickly as some others.

From the Committee on Energy and Commerce, we are so happy that we are able to bring this to the floor.

While travel has certainly increased over the last year, it is still significantly lower than previously before the pandemic. As an example, business travel spending is on the rise, but it is still expected to be 50 percent below 2019 levels. In the meantime, the number of travelers visiting the United States from overseas fell by 79 percent in September 2021 as compared to that same month in 2019.

These are significant reductions that are impacting not only companies directly involved in the tourism and travel industry but small businesses all across the Nation that rely on travelers to keep them in business.

Today, the United States is the only G20 country not to have a high- ranking official focusing on the travel and tourism industry. This has prevented the industry from producing a coordinated approach to recovery of the industry and to make us more competitive with the rest of the world.

H.R. 6965 addresses this deficiency and provides the industry with a path forward for continuing recovery and growth in the future. This bill establishes the role of the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism at the Department of Commerce. It also requires the assistant secretary to develop and implement a COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy, as well as strategic plans for future disruptions that hopefully we aren't going to see.

The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to develop a 10- year travel and tourism strategy, as well as provides statutory authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which will aid the assistant secretary in developing and implementing these important strategies.

H.R. 6965 passed out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce last week unanimously, 56-0. I commend the tireless and passionate efforts put forth by Representative Titus, the author of this legislation. Without her and the good work done by Representatives Soto, Case, Kuster, and the late Don Young--God bless his heart--we would not have gotten this agenda done. I also thank Chairmen Nadler and Meeks for working with us to get this to the House floor today.

I know the Senate has also been working on travel and tourism legislation and is moving forward with a package of bills that includes the Visit America Act. Although there are some technical differences between the two bills, my hope is that we can get together and work together as quickly as possible and get this legislation passed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, September 23, 2022.

Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Pallone: This letter is to advise you that

the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to

review the provisions in H.R. 6965, the ``Visit America

Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate

your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary

Committee is willing to forgo action on H.R. 6965, with the

understanding that we do not thereby waive any future

jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject

matters.

In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar

legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the

right to request an appropriate number of conferees to

address any concerns with these or similar provisions that

may arise in conference.

Please place this letter into the Congressional Record

during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank

you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked

regarding this matter and others between our committees.

Sincerely,

Jerrold Nadler,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support this legislation because it is so important, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Brett GuthrieR-KY-2 · Sep 28, 2022

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America Act. The bill along with H.R. 7820, the Travel and Tourism Act, from…

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America Act.

The bill along with H.R. 7820, the Travel and Tourism Act, from Representative Dunn, and H.R. 4594, the Restoring Brand USA Act, from Representative Bilirakis, have represented bipartisan efforts to assist our tourism sector with economic recovery post-COVID-19.

Representative Bilirakis is not here speaking about this bill. He is home in Tampa, Florida, and represents the Tampa Bay area, as all of us know. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with his community in Florida and the other States that have to deal with the remnants of the rain. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Back to the bill, while I am pleased that Representative Bilirakis' Brand USA legislation was signed into law this year, more work and bipartisan efforts are needed to build upon Representative Bilirakis' efforts to increase tourism.

Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult for all industries, but the travel and tourism industry was hit especially hard.

According to testimony by the U.S. Travel Association before the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, at the end of 2021, international travel spending was 78 percent below prepandemic levels.

This bipartisan legislation can support the U.S. travel and tourism industry and address the declining percentage of international visitors to the United States. The Visit America Act will help by directing the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy with annual goals for the number of international visitors to the United States.

Again, I thank the sponsors and cosponsors of all of these bills that we have considered at the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I would like to give special recognition to our colleague, Representative Bilirakis, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, who, as I noted, is back home, duly focusing on the hurricane response and serving his constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, we have the greatest country in the world. I love when people want to come see the beauty of our great land and meet our great people. We have a wonderful opportunity for people to come see our country. The tourism industry is a great industry, as are the people who serve in it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Danny K. DavisD-IL-7 · Oct 4, 2022

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures. If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted Aye for the following votes: Roll 461, September 29, 2022:…

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures. If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted Aye for the following votes:

Roll 461, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 4900--SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022.

Roll 462, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8466--Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2022, as amended.

Roll 463, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 3470--End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act of 2022.

Roll 464, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 2551--AI Training Act.

Roll 465, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 958--Maximizing Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act.

Roll 466, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 6965--Visit America Act, as amended.

Roll 467, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 7321--Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act, as amended.

Roll 468, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, House Amendment to S. 3662--Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act.

Roll 469, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8888--Food Security for All Veterans Act.

Roll 470, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 2794--Supporting Families of the Fallen Act.

Roll 471, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8446--Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022, as amended.

Roll 472, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 8463--Millennium Challenge Corporation Eligibility Expansion Act.

Roll 473, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Certain Bills and Concur in the Senate Amendments on H.R. 8956, H.R. 6967, H.R. 8163, H.R. 4081, H.R. 6889, H.R. 1638, Senate Amendment to

Rep. Janice D. SchakowskyD-IL-9 · Sep 29, 2022

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 466. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Bacon (Hartzler) Beatty (Cicilline) Bilirakis…

Rep. Ed CaseD-HI-1 · Sep 28, 2022

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6965, the Visit America Act. U.S. travel and tourism is one of our country's core industries. Pre- COVID, it generated some $2.6 trillion in annual…

Show 2 more

Rep. Rick LarsenD-WA-2 · Sep 29, 2022

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 466.

Rep. Thomas P. TiffanyR-WI-7 · Sep 28, 2022

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Bill Text

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Received in SenateIssued October 11, 2022

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6965

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 11, 2022

Received

AN ACT

To promote travel and tourism in the United States, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Visit America Act.

Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism

Section 2(d) of the Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1979 (93 Stat. 1382; 5 U.S.C. App.) is amended—

(1)

by striking There shall be in the Department two additional Assistant Secretaries and inserting (1) There shall be in the Department 3 additional Assistant Secretaries, including the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism,; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(2)

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism shall—

(A)

be appointed by the President, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(B)

report directly to the Under Secretary for International Trade.

Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism

(a)

Visitation goals

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism (referred to in this section as the Assistant Secretary), appointed pursuant to section 2(d) of the Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1979, as amended by section 2, shall—

(1)

in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, establish an annual visitation goal, consistent with the goals of the travel and tourism strategy developed pursuant to section 4(1), for—

(A)

the number of international visitors to the United States; and

(B)

the value of travel and tourism commerce;

(2)

develop recommendations for achieving the annual goals established pursuant to paragraph (1);

(3)

ensure that travel and tourism policy is developed in consultation with—

(A)

the Tourism Policy Council;

(B)

the Secretary of State;

(C)

the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(D)

the National Travel and Tourism Office;

(E)

Brand USA;

(F)

the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; and

(G)

travel industry partners, including public and private destination marketing organizations, travel and tourism suppliers, and labor representatives from these industries;

(4)

establish short-, medium-, and long-term timelines for implementing the recommendations developed pursuant to paragraph (2);

(5)

conduct Federal agency needs assessments, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget and other relevant Federal agencies, to identify the resources, statutory or regulatory changes, and private sector engagement needed to achieve the annual visitation goals; and

(6)

provide assessments and recommendations to—

(A)

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;

(B)

the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and

(C)

the public through a publicly accessible website.

(b)

Domestic travel and tourism

The Assistant Secretary, to the extent feasible, shall—

(1)

evaluate, on an ongoing basis, domestic policy options for supporting competitiveness with respect to the strengths, weaknesses, and growth of the domestic travel industry;

(2)

develop recommendations and goals to support and enhance domestic tourism, separated by business and leisure; and

(3)

engage public and private stakeholders to support domestic tourism.

(c)

Workforce

The Assistant Secretary shall—

(1)

consult with the Secretary of Labor to develop strategies and best practices for improving the timeliness and reliability of travel and tourism workforce data;

(2)

work with the Secretary of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to improve travel and tourism industry data; and

(3)

provide recommendations for policy enhancements and efficiencies.

(d)

International business travel facilitation

The Assistant Secretary, in coordination with relevant Federal agencies, shall work to increase and facilitate international business travel to the United States and ensure competitiveness by engaging in, at a minimum—

(1)

facilitating large meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions to be hosted in the United States;

(2)

emphasizing rural and other destinations rich in cultural heritage or ecological tourism, among other uniquely American destinations, as locations for hosting international meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions in the United States; and

(3)

facilitating sports and recreation events and activities, which shall be hosted in the United States.

(e)

Recovery strategy

(1)

Initial recovery strategy

Not later than 1 year after amounts are appropriated to accomplish the purposes of this section, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with public and private stakeholders identified in subsection (a)(3) and public health officials, shall develop and implement a COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy to assist the United States travel and tourism industry to quickly recover from the pandemic.

(2)

Future recovery strategies

After assisting in the implementation of the strategy developed pursuant to paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with appropriate public and private stakeholders, shall develop additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism industry in anticipation of other unforeseen catastrophic events that would significantly affect the travel and tourism industry, such as hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, terrorist attacks, and pandemics.

(3)

Cost-benefit analysis

In developing the COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy under paragraph (1) and additional recovery strategies for the travel and tourism industry under paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary shall conduct cost-benefit analyses that take into account the health and economic effects of public health mitigation measures on the travel and tourism industry.

(f)

Reporting requirements

(1)

Assistant secretary

The Assistant Secretary shall produce an annual forecasting report on the travel and tourism industry, to the extent feasible, which shall include current and anticipated—

(A)

domestic employment needs;

(B)

international inbound volume and spending, taking into account the lasting effects of the COVID–19 public health emergency and the impact of the recovery strategy implemented pursuant to subsection (e)(1); and

(C)

domestic volume and spending, including Federal and State public land travel and tourism data.

(2)

Bureau of economic analysis

The Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis should annually update, to the extent feasible, the Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts, including—

(A)

State level travel and tourism spending data;

(B)

travel and tourism workforce data for full-time and part-time employment; and

(C)

Federal and State public lands outdoor recreational activity and tourism spending data.

(3)

National travel and tourism office

The Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office—

(A)

in partnership with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and other relevant Federal agencies, shall report international arrival and spending data on a regular monthly schedule, which shall be made available to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and to the public through a publicly available website; and

(B)

shall include questions in the Survey of International Air Travelers regarding wait-times, visits to public lands, and State data, to the extent applicable.

Travel and tourism strategy

Not less frequently than once every 10 years, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, the Tourism Policy Council, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall develop and submit to Congress a 10-year travel and tourism strategy, which shall include—

(1)

the establishment of goals with respect to the number of annual international visitors to the United States and the annual value of travel and tourism commerce in the United States during such 10-year period;

(2)

the resources needed to achieve the goals established pursuant to paragraph (1); and

(3)

recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes that would be necessary to achieve such goals.

United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

Section 3 of the Act of July 19, 1940, entitled An Act to encourage travel in the United States, and for other purposes (15 U.S.C. 1546) is amended—

(1)

by striking Sec. 3 and all that follows through The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and inserting the following:

United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; Advisory committee

(a)

United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

(1)

In general

There is established the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (referred to in this subsection as the Board), the members of which shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce for 2-year terms from among companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry.

(2)

Executive director

The Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism shall serve as the Executive Director of the Board.

(3)

Executive secretariat

The Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office of the International Trade Administration shall serve as the Executive Secretariat for the Board.

(4)

Functions

The Board’s Charter shall specify that the Board will—

(A)

serve as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States;

(B)

advise the Secretary of Commerce on Government policies and programs that affect the United States travel and tourism industry;

(C)

offer counsel on current and emerging issues;

(D)

provide a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to problems related to the travel and tourism industry; and

(E)

provide advice regarding the domestic travel and tourism industry as an economic engine.

(5)

Recovery strategy

The Board shall assist the Assistant Secretary in the development and implementation of the COVID–19 public health emergency recovery strategy required under section 3(e)(1) of the Visit America Act.

(b)

Advisory committee for promotion of tourist travel

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized

; and

(2)

by striking the Secretary of the Interior to serve and inserting the Secretary of Commerce to serve.

Data on domestic travel and tourism

The Secretary of Commerce, subject to the availability of appropriations, shall collect and make public aggregate data on domestic travel and tourism trends.

Completion of proceeding

If the Secretary of Commerce has, before the date of the enactment of this Act, taken action that in whole or in part implements this Act or the amendments made by this Act, the Secretary is not required to revisit such action, but only to the extent such action is consistent with this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

Defined term

In this Act, the term COVID–19 public health emergency—

(1)

means the public health emergency first declared on January 31, 2020, by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to COVID–19; and

(2)

includes any renewal of such declaration pursuant to such section 319.

Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 2022.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk.