[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 115 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 115
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study and submit to
Congress a report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel
and tourism industry in the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 28, 2021
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Blunt, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Scott of
South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study and submit to
Congress a report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel
and tourism industry in the United States, 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 ``Protecting Tourism in the United
States Act''.
SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON EFFECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON TRAVEL AND
TOURISM INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the United
States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and the head of any other
Federal agency the Secretary considers appropriate, shall complete a
study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism
industry, including various segments of the travel and tourism
industry, such as domestic, international, leisure, business,
conventions, meetings, and events.
(b) Matters for Consideration.--In conducting the study required by
subsection (a) and the interim study required by subsection (e)(1), the
Secretary shall consider--
(1) changes in employment rates in the travel and tourism
industry during the pandemic period;
(2) changes in revenues of businesses in the travel and
tourism industry during the pandemic period;
(3) changes in employment and sales in industries related
to the travel and tourism industry, and changes in
contributions of the travel and tourism industry to such
related industries, during the pandemic period;
(4) the effects attributable to the changes described in
paragraphs (1) through (3) in the travel and tourism industry
and such related industries on the overall economy of the
United States during the pandemic period and the projected
effects of such changes on the overall economy of the United
States following the pandemic period; and
(5) any additional matters the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(c) Consultation and Public Comment.--In conducting the study
required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
(1) consult with representatives of--
(A) the small business sector;
(B) the restaurant or food service sector;
(C) the hotel and alternative accommodations
sector;
(D) the attractions or recreations sector;
(E) the travel distribution services sector;
(F) destination marketing organizations;
(G) State tourism offices; and
(H) the passenger air, railroad, and rental car
sectors; and
(2) provide an opportunity for public comment and advice
relevant to conducting the study.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 6 months after the date on
which the study required by subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary,
in consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory
Board and the head of any other Federal agency the Secretary considers
appropriate, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate, and make publicly available on the
website of the Department of Commerce, a report that contains--
(1) the results of such study; and
(2) policy recommendations for promoting and assisting the
travel and tourism industry.
(e) Interim Study and Report.--Not later than 3 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, after consultation
with relevant stakeholders, including the United States Travel and
Tourism Advisory Board, shall--
(1) complete an interim study, which shall be based on data
available at the time when the study is conducted and provide a
framework for the study required by subsection (a), on the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (as of such time) on the
travel and tourism industry, including various segments of the
travel and tourism industry, such as domestic, international,
leisure, business, conventions, meetings, and events; and
(2) submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and make publicly
available on the website of the Department of Commerce, an
interim report that contains the results of the interim study
required by paragraph (1).
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Pandemic period.--The term ``pandemic period'' has the
meaning given the term ``emergency period'' in section
1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-
5(g)(1)(B)), excluding any portion of such period after the
date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(3) Travel and tourism industry.--The term ``travel and
tourism industry'' means the travel and tourism industry in the
United States.
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