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Tourism Policy and Export Promotion Act of 1992

Public Law 102-372 · S. 680 · 102nd Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Sep 30, 1992 · Foreign Trade and International Finance

Sponsor: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Cosponsors (20): Sen. Fritz Hollings,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Tourism Policy and Export Promotion Act of 1992 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to improve the survey of international air travelers providing data to estimate the U.S. balance of payments in international travel.

Establishes the Rural Tourism Development Foundation. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to authorize the Secretary to assist the Foundation in the development and promotion of rural tourism.

Declares as further purposes of the national tourism policy: (1) optimizing the contributions of the tourism and recreation industries with respect to U.S. international competitiveness; (2) increasing U.S. export earnings from tourism and transportation services traded internationally; (3) ensuring the orderly growth and development of tourism; (4) coordinating and encouraging the development of the tourism industry in rural communities; and (5) promoting increased and more effective investment in international tourism by the States, local governments, and cooperative tourism marketing programs.

Includes as duties of the Secretary: (1) to encourage the development of receptive, linguistic, informational, currency exchange, meal, and package tour services required by the international market; (2) to provide export promotion services for States, local governments, and companies in the United States that sell tourism services in the international market; and (3) to advise and provide technical assistance to U.S. firms seeking to facilitate travel to and from the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and to compile statistics on such travel. Requires the Secretary in performing such duties to: (1) provide financial assistance to cooperative tourism marketing programs; and (2) encourage the use of U.S. providers of travel products and services.

Requires the Secretary's tourism trade development efforts to focus on the markets which have the greatest potential for increasing travel and tourism export revenues. Sets forth a procedure for selecting such markets.

Modifies eligibility requirements with respect to the provision of financial assistance to States under the cooperative tourism marketing program.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) identify and analyze acts, policies, or practices of foreign countries that constitute barriers to, or distortions of U.S. travel and tourism exports; (2) estimate the trade-distorting impact on U.S. commerce of any such act, policy, or practice; and (3) estimate the value of additional U.S. travel and tourism exports that would have been exported to such foreign countries if such acts, policies, and practices did not exist.

Requires the Secretary to take appropriate action to ensure that: (1) foreign tourists are not unnecessarily delayed when entering the United States; and (2) the international processing standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization is met.

Requires the Secretary to report annually to specified congressional committees on the goals achieved by the United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) as part of the evaluation of such Administration.

Abolishes the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tourism Marketing. Requires the Secretary to designate a Deputy Under Secretary for Tourism Trade Development to help facilitate the interaction between industry and government regarding tourism trade development.

Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to continue to seek the assistance of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service to assist the USTTA in stimulating and encouraging travel to the United States by foreign residents.

Limits administrative expenses of the USTTA for FY 1993 and subsequent fiscal years.

Adds as members to the Tourism Policy council the Secretary of Agriculture, the Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Commanding General of the Corps of Engineers of the Army, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and the Commissioner of Customs. Requires up to three Federal departments and agencies represented on such Council to detail to the Council, for every year, one staff person and associated resources.

Requires at least two members of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board to be representatives of the States (and at least one member to be a city representative) who are knowledgeable of tourism promotion. Revises the length of service of members on the Board.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1993 through 1996. Makes such funds available for the printing of travel promotional materials for two fiscal years.

Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on: (1) the feasibility of publishing international travel receipts and payments on a monthly basis; (2) the tourism trade between the United States and emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; (3) activities to increase tourism opportunities for, and encourage travel by, disabled persons; (4) efforts to improve visitor facilitation; and (5) the offices of the United States Travel and Tourism Administration located in foreign countries (including Europe and Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, North America, South America, and the Caribbean region), with analysis and recommendation with respect to possible cost reductions and marketing efficiencies.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 25 actions.

  1. Sep 30, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-372.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 21, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 15, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Swift moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendments.
  7. Aug 12, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendment with an amendment (SP 2948) by Voice Vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  9. Nov 23, 1991FloorFloor · A similar measure H.R. 3645 was laid on the table without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended to that of similar measure H.R. 3645. Agreed to without objection.
  12. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  13. FloorFloor · The House struck all after the enacting clause and inserted in lieu thereof the provisions of a similar measure H.R. 3645. Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  15. FloorFloor · Mr. Swift asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Energy and Commerce Committee
  17. Oct 28, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  18. Oct 24, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  19. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Voice Vote.
  20. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  21. Sep 13, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  22. Jul 30, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  23. Jul 10, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Foreign Commerce and Tourism Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  24. Mar 15, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  25. Mar 14, 1991IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.