S 2412 105th Congress Senate

Visit USA Act

Official title: A bill to create employment opportunities and to promote economic growth establishing a public-private partnership between the United States travel and tourism industry and every level of government to work to make the United States the premiere travel and tourism destination in the world, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 23, 1998 See on congress.gov

Commerce AccountingBalance of paymentsCongressCongressional reporting requirements

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Economic impact statementsEconomics and Public FinanceEmergency ManagementFederal advisory bodiesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceForeign trade promotionGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment and businessGovernment publicityLanguage and languagesMarketingScience, Technology, CommunicationsSigns and signboardsSigns and symbolsStandardsTelephoneTourismTransportation and Public WorksTravel

Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Jul 31, 1998

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Jul 31, 1998

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9571-9572)

Jul 31, 1998

Introduced in Senate

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Latest action July 31, 1998

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: International Visitor Initiatives

Title II: International Marketing Program

Value in Supporting International Tourism in the United States Act of 1998 (or the Visit USA Act) - Title I: International Visitor Initiatives - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish an Intergovernmental Task Force for International Visitor Assistance. Requires the Task Force to: (1) examine, and report to the President and the Congress its recommendation on, signage at U.S. facilities (including airports, seaports, land border crossings, highways, and bus, train, and other public transit stations); and (2) identify and suggest solutions to existing inadequacies, such as the adoption of uniform standards on international signage for use throughout the United States in order to facilitate international visitors' travel here.

Requires the Task Force also to examine and report on: (1) the availability of multilingual travel and tourism information and means of disseminating such information; and (2) establishment of a toll- free, private-sector operated telephone number, staffed by multilingual operators, to provide assistance to international tourists coping with an emergency.

Directs the Secretary to complete, as soon as may be practicable, a satellite system of accounting for the travel and tourism industry.

Title II: International Marketing Program - Authorizes appropriations for U.S. National Tourism Organization international promotional activities. Prohibits the use of such funds for any purpose other than marketing, research, outreach, or any other activity designed to promote the United States as the premiere travel and tourism destination in the world. States that the Organization's general and administrative expenses shall be borne by the private sector.

Bill text 1 version