Travel Regional Investment Partnership Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competitive grant program to promote domestic regional tourism growth and new domestic tourism markets. Limits grant amounts to a minimum of $100,000 and a maximum of $1 million. Allows such grants to be awarded to state tourism offices, local destination marketing organizations, and partnerships between a state or local government and local tourism entities. Requires matching funds from grant recipients.
Directs the Secretary to report annually to Congress on travel-generated expenditures, receipts, and employment related to the use of such grants.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3484 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3484
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competitive grant
program to promote domestic regional tourism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 18, 2011
Mr. Farr (for himself, Ms. Berkley, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
Cicilline, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Engel, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Olver, Mr. Dicks, and
Mr. Reyes) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a competitive grant
program to promote domestic regional tourism.
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 Regional Investment
Partnership Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The importance of travel and tourism cannot be
overstated. Travel and tourism employs America.
(2) Approximately 7,720,000 domestic jobs depend on the
travel and tourism industry.
(3) The travel and tourism industry accounts for 2.8
percent of the Nation's gross domestic product.
(4) The travel and tourism industry generates
$1,300,000,000,000 in total expenditures.
(5) The travel and tourism industry lost 392,000 jobs in
2009.
(6) In 2009, tourism output declined by $100,000,000,000.
(7) Total direct tourism employment decreased by 0.5
percent in 2010.
(8) Public-private partnerships have been underutilized in
the promotion of travel and tourism and are a dynamic tool in
creating new domestic tourism markets and promoting domestic
regional tourism growth.
SEC. 3. DOMESTIC REGIONAL TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a competitive
grant program, to be administered by the Office of Travel and Tourism
Industries, to promote domestic regional tourism growth and new
domestic tourism market creation.
(b) Range of Grant Monetary Amounts.--The amount of each grant
awarded under this section shall be not less than $100,000 and not more
than $1,000,000.
(c) Grantee Eligibility Requirements.--
(1) Eligible entities.--Grants may be awarded under this
section to--
(A) State tourism offices;
(B) local destination marketing organizations; and
(C) partnerships between a State or local
government and local tourism entities.
(2) Regional diversity.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary may consider--
(A) giving priority to regions with low
contributions to tourism marketing;
(B) maintaining regional diversity of grant
recipients; and
(C) providing benefits to rural and less-marketed
destinations.
(3) Use of funds.--Grants awarded under this section may be
used to--
(A) promote domestic regional tourism growth; and
(B) create new domestic tourism markets.
(4) Application process.--
(A) Submission.--An eligible entity seeking a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such form, and with such
information and assurances as the Secretary may
require.
(B) Contents.--Each application submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall include--
(i) a description of the tourist promotion
activities to be funded by the grant; and
(ii) in the case of a partnership between a
State or local government and local tourism
entities--
(I) a list of the specific tourist
entities that such government has
partnered with to promote tourism
within the relevant domestic region;
(II) the details of the partnership
agreement;
(III) specific information
explaining how such partnership will
increase regional tourism; and
(IV) the anticipated positive
impact of the partnership on job
creation and employment in the relevant
domestic region.
(d) Matching Requirement.--
(1) Non-federal funds.--As a condition for receiving a
grant under this section, the grant recipient shall provide,
either directly or through donations from public or private
entities, non-Federal matching funds, in cash or in-kind, in an
amount equal to the amount of the grant.
(2) Special rule for in-kind donations.--Of the amount of
non-Federal matching funds required under paragraph (1), not
more than 25 percent may be provided through in-kind
contributions.
(e) Reports.--Not later than 6 months after the last day of each
fiscal year in which grants are awarded by the Secretary under this
section, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that details--
(1) travel-generated expenditures;
(2) travel-generated tax receipts; and
(3) travel-generated employment.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Local tourist entity.--The term ``local tourist
entity'' means any public or private sector business engaged in
tourism-related activities.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated, for each of the first 5 fiscal years beginning after the
date of the enactment of this Act, $10,000,000, which shall be used for
grants under this section and shall remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
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