United States Export Promotion Act of 2005 - Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce, the International Trade Administration, and the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) from charging fees to U.S. exporters, businesses, or persons for assistance provided to them under export promotion programs.
Revises the capital security cost-sharing program under the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 to exclude from determination of an agency's total overseas presence any positions or activities attributable to export promotion programs.
Requires the Secretary to develop and submit to Congress plans to: (1) locate and relocate USFCS offices, officers, and employees in other countries at places other than the U.S. embassy or the U.S. chief diplomatic mission; and (2) place a USFCS office where the United States has diplomatic relations or, where viable in countries with smaller markets, one or more foreign nationals working under a regional USFCS officer's supervision to carry out export promotion functions.
Directs the Secretary to develop and submit to Congress a plan for conducting at least 100 U.S. trade missions abroad in FY2006-FY2007.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) increase the participation in global markets of small and medium-sized U.S. businesses; (2) review, reorganize, and expand the Department of Commerce Web site to increase its usability and scope; and (3) create a database of U.S. exporters.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4250 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4250
To eliminate fees for assistance provided by the Department of Commerce
and agencies thereof under export promotion programs, to authorize
appropriations for such purpose, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to
take certain steps to expand export promotion activities, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 8, 2005
Mr. Mica (for himself and Mr. Manzullo) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To eliminate fees for assistance provided by the Department of Commerce
and agencies thereof under export promotion programs, to authorize
appropriations for such purpose, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to
take certain steps to expand export promotion activities, 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 ``United States Export Promotion Act
of 2005''.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF FEES CHARGED FOR EXPORT PROMOTION PROGRAMS.
(a) Elimination of Fees.--The Secretary of Commerce, the
International Trade Administration, and the United States and Foreign
Commercial Service may not charge fees to United States exporters,
United States businesses, or United States persons, for assistance
provided to such exporters, businesses, or persons under subtitle C of
the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721 et seq.) or under
any other export promotion program.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of Commerce, the International Trade
Administration, and the United States and Foreign Commercial Service
such sums as may be necessary to cover the costs of providing services
to United States exporters, United States businesses, or United States
persons, under export promotion programs.
SEC. 3. CAPITAL SECURITY COST-SHARING PROGRAM CHANGES.
In determining the total overseas presence of an agency for
purposes of section 604(e) of the Secure Embassy Construction and
Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (as enacted by section 1000(a)(7) of
Public Law 106-113), there shall be excluded any positions or
activities of the agency attributable to export promotion programs.
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICE ACTIVITIES ABROAD.
The Secretary of Commerce shall, not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act--
(1) develop and submit to the Congress a plan to locate and
relocate offices, officers, and employees of the USFCS in other
countries at places other than the United States embassy or, in
any country in which there is no such embassy, the chief
diplomatic mission of the United States in that country;
(2) develop and submit to the Congress a plan to place, in
each country with which the United States has diplomatic
relations, a USFCS office or, in countries with smaller
markets, one or more foreign nationals working under the
supervision of a regional USFCS officer, to carry out functions
under export promoting programs if, on the basis of a market
analysis of the country conducted by the Secretary of Commerce,
the Secretary determines such placement is viable; and
(3) conduct and report to the Congress on a market analysis
of other countries for purposes of expanding activities of the
USFCS in those countries, particularly those with developing
economies.
SEC. 5. UNITED STATES TRADE MISSIONS.
The Secretary of Commerce shall, not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, develop and submit to the Congress a
plan for conducting at least 100 United States trade missions abroad in
fiscal years 2006 and 2007. Of these trade missions--
(1) 1 shall be dedicated for each of the several States,
(2) 1 shall be dedicated for the District of Columbia,
(3) 1 shall be dedicated for Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands, and
(4) 1 shall be dedicated for Guam and American Samoa,
with each such mission being comprised primarily of United States
businesses whose principal place of business is in the State or other
place listed in paragraphs (2) through (4) for which the trade mission
is dedicated. No fee may be charged to any United States business for
participating in any such trade mission.
SEC. 6. INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN GLOBAL MARKETS OF SMALL- AND
MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES.
The Secretary of Commerce shall, not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Congress--
(1) budget, staffing, and reorganization requirements of
the Department of Commerce and, with the concurrence of the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, of the
Small Business Administration, in order to substantially
increase the ability of small businesses and medium-sized
businesses in the United States to compete in global markets;
and
(2) an overall United States trade promotion strategy, with
achievable annual action plans, that aggressively markets small
businesses and medium-sized businesses in the United States to
expanding overseas markets and directly supports, through trade
missions and related activities, the efforts of the individual
States (and the District of Columbia) toward achieving this
goal.
SEC. 7. DEVELOPMENT OF EXPORT DATABASE AND OTHER TRADE PROMOTION
ACTIVITIES.
(a) Database.--The Secretary of Commerce shall--
(1) conduct a comprehensive review, reorganization, and
expansion of the Web site www.export.gov (or any successor Web
site) of the Department of Commerce in order to--
(A) increase the usability and scope of the Web
site; and
(B) ensure that each USFCS office location has an
interactive Web site that is interoperable with
www.export.gov; and
(2)(A) create and maintain a database of United States
exporters;
(B) provide United States exporters with the ability to
elect to be included in the database; and
(C) report to Congress on methods other Federal agencies
may use to assist United States businesses interested in
developing export markets in accessing the database; and
(3) after reviewing successful trade promotion activities
of other countries with which the United States competes in
global markets, make such modifications to the operations of
the Department of Commerce in carrying out export promotion
programs, including modifications to Internet access, as are
necessary to more effectively assist in matching business
opportunities abroad to potential suppliers in the United
States, and to support closing of transactions, arranging of
financing, and delivery of goods or services.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Export promotion program.--The term ``export promotion
program'' has the meaning given that term in section 201(d) of
the Export Administration Amendments Act of 1985 (15 U.S.C.
4051(d)).
(2) Small business.--The term ``small business'' means any
small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(3) United states business.--The term ``United States
business'' has the meaning given that term in section 2304(e)
of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4724(e)).
(4) United states exporter.--The term ``United States
exporter'' has the meaning given that term in section 2301(j)
of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(j)).
(5) USFCS.--The term ``USFCS'' means the United States and
Foreign Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce.
(6) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' has the meaning given that term in section 2306(c) of
the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4725(c)).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
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