TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: National Tourism Board
Title II: National Tourism Organization
Travel and Tourism Partnership Act of 1996 - Title I: National Tourism Board - Establishes the National Tourism Board to develop a national travel and tourism strategy for increasing U.S. tourism.
Title II: National Tourism Organization - Directs the President to provide for the establishment of the National Tourism Organization as a non-Federal nonprofit organization to implement the national travel and tourism strategy developed by the Board.
Requires the head of a Federal agency, upon request, to provide technical assistance to the Organization to assist it in carrying out its purposes.
Requires the head of each Federal agency maintaining offices in a foreign country to incorporate in their programs and activities some that implement the recommendations of the Organization and Board.
Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee's (TPCC) Federal trade promotion plan to reflect Board recommendations. Makes the President of the Organization a member of TPCC.
[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1623 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1623
To establish a National Tourism Board and a National Tourism
Organization, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 15, 1996
Mr. Warner introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a National Tourism Board and a National Tourism
Organization, 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 ``Travel and Tourism Partnership Act
of 1996''.
TITLE I--NATIONAL TOURISM BOARD
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL TOURISM BOARD.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the National Tourism Board
(hereafter in this title referred to as the ``Board'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of 36
members, appointed by the President, in consultation with the
appropriate representatives of the travel and tourism industry.
The members appointed under this subsection shall include--
(A) 1 member appointed to serve as the Chairperson
of the Board, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate;
(B) 1 member appointed from nominations submitted
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(C) 1 member appointed from nominations submitted
by the President pro tempore of the Senate;
(D) 6 members appointed from among employees of
Federal and State agencies related to travel and
tourism; and
(E) 27 members representing the private sector and
a wide range of travel and tourism industries.
(2) Accountability of chairperson.--The Chairperson shall
be accountable to the President and the Congress for the
operations of the Board.
(c) Terms.--
(1) In general.--Each member of the Board (including the
Chairperson) shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except
as provided in paragraph (2).
(2) Terms of initial members.--As determined by the
President as of the date of the first appointments, of the
members first appointed--
(A) 12 members shall be appointed for a term of 1
year;
(B) 12 members shall be appointed for a term of 2
years; and
(C) 12 members (including the Chairperson) shall be
appointed for a term of 3 years.
(3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Board shall not affect
its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
(d) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which all members of the Board have been appointed, the Board shall
hold its first meeting.
(e) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson,
but not less frequently than semiannually. The Board shall provide
appropriate notice of each meeting to the general public. The meetings
of the Board shall be open to the general public.
(f) Treatment of Board.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Board shall not be considered to be a Federal agency
for purposes of the civil service laws and any other provision
of Federal law governing the operation of Federal agencies,
including personnel or budgetary matters relating to Federal
agencies.
(2) Exemption from the federal advisory committee act.--The
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply
to the Board.
SEC. 102. DUTIES OF THE BOARD.
(a) Public-Private Partnership.--The Board shall--
(1) facilitate the development and use of a public-private
partnership for travel and tourism policymaking;
(2) develop a national travel and tourism strategy for
increasing tourism to and within the United States;
(3) advise the President, the Congress, and members of the
travel and tourism industry concerning--
(A) the implementation of the national strategy
referred to in paragraph (2); and
(B) other matters that affect travel and tourism;
and
(4) provide guidance to the National Tourism Organization
established under section 201.
(b) Recommendations; Testimony.--The Board--
(1) shall develop such recommendations on the issues
referred to in subsection (a)(3) as the Board considers to be
appropriate; and
(2) may present testimony concerning those issues to the
Congress and to State legislatures.
(c) Reports.--To carry out its duties, the Board may submit to the
President and the Congress such reports concerning the findings and
determinations of the Board as the Board determines to be appropriate.
SEC. 103. POWERS OF THE BOARD.
(a) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Board may secure
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the
Board considers necessary to carry out the duties of the Board. Upon
request of the Chairperson of the Board, the head of a Federal
department or agency shall furnish that information to the Board.
(b) Contributions.--The Board may accept, use, and dispose of gifts
or donations of funds, services, or property necessary to carry out its
duties. The Board may not accept any Federal financial assistance or
financial assistance from any other government.
SEC. 104. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Board who is not
an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve without
compensation, except for travel expenses, as described in subsection
(b). Each member of the Board who is an officer or employee of the
Federal Government shall not receive any compensation in addition to
that received for that member's services as an officer or employee of
the United States.
(b) Travel Expenses.--Subject to the availability of funds from
financial contributions under section 103(b), the members of the Board
may be allowed travel expenses, while away from their homes or regular
places of business in the performance of services for the Board.
(c) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Board may appoint
and terminate an executive director and such other additional
personnel as may be necessary to enable the Board to perform
its duties.
(2) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the Board may fix the
compensation of the executive director and other personnel.
(3) Support services.--At the request of the Chairperson of
the Board, the Chairperson of the Board of the National Tourism
Organization established under section 201 may provide clerical
and support services to the National Tourism Board established
under this title.
TITLE II--NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION.
(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--The President shall, in accordance with
this section, provide for the establishment of a nonprofit
corporation, to be known as the National Tourism Organization
(hereafter in this title referred to as the ``Organization'').
The Organization shall not be an agency or establishment of the
United States Government, but shall be operated in a manner
consistent with the provisions of this section and any other
applicable laws.
(2) Purposes.--The purposes of the Organization are--
(A) to work toward increasing the market share of
the United States in global tourism;
(B) to implement the strategy developed under
section 102(a)(2);
(C) to operate travel and tourism promotion
programs overseas in partnership with the travel and
tourism industry of the United States;
(D) to establish a travel-tourism data bank and,
through that data bank, collect and disseminate
international market data;
(E) to conduct market research necessary for the
effective promotion of the travel and tourism market;
and
(F) to promote United States travel and tourism at
international trade shows.
(b) Organization Board of Directors.--The Organization shall have a
Board of Directors (hereafter in this title referred to as the
``Organization Board''). The Organization Board shall consist of 45
members, appointed by the President. The Organization Board shall be
accountable to the National Tourism Board established under title I for
the operations of the Organization.
(c) Incorporators.--The members of the initial Organization Board
shall--
(1) serve as incorporators; and
(2) take any action that is necessary to establish the
Organization as a corporation under applicable law.
(d) Term of Office.--The term of office of each member of the
Organization Board who is appointed by the President shall be 3 years,
except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to
the expiration of the term for which the predecessor of that member was
appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of that term.
(e) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Organization Board shall not
affect its power, but shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
(f) Chairperson.--The Organization Board shall be headed by a
chairperson, who shall be selected by the Organization Board, from
among the members of the Organization Board.
(g) Status of Members.--Members of the Organization Board shall
not, by reason of membership in the Organization Board, be considered
to be officers or employees of the United States.
(h) Officers; Staff.--
(1) Officers.--The Organization shall have a president, and
such other officers as may be named and appointed by the
Organization Board for terms and at rates of compensation fixed
by the Organization Board. The president shall serve as a
member of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee
established under section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of
1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727). The Organization Board may prescribe the
duties of the officers. All officers of the Organization shall
serve at the pleasure of the Organization Board.
(2) Staff.--The Organization Board shall hire the staff
necessary to carry out the purposes of the Organization and fix
the compensation of that staff.
(i) Financing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
incorporation of the Organization, the appropriate officers of the
Organization shall cooperate with the Organization Board to develop a
recommendation for the long-term financing of the Organization.
SEC. 202. COOPERATION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
(a) Technical Assistance.--Upon request of the appropriate officer
of the Organization or the Organization Board, the head of a Federal
agency shall provide technical assistance to assist the Organization in
carrying out its purposes, as specified in section 201(a)(2).
(b) Overseas Posts.--The head of each Federal agency that maintains
offices in a foreign country shall, as appropriate, incorporate in the
programs and activities carried out by those offices, programs and
activities that implement the recommendations of the National Tourism
Board established under section 101 and the Organization.
SEC. 203. TRADE PROMOTION COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
Section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph
(4);
(B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph
(5) and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(6) reflect recommendations made by the National Tourism
Board established under the Travel and Tourism Partnership Act
of 1996.''; and
(2) in subsection (d)(1)--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph
(L);
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (M) as
subparagraph (N); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (L) the
following:
``(M) the president of the National Tourism
Organization established under the Travel and Tourism
Partnership Act of 1996; and''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2198)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.
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