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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017

Public Law 115-79 · S. 504 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Nov 2, 2017 · Immigration

Sponsor: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)

Cosponsors (3): Sen. Steve Daines,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 401 yea, 2 nay401–2
  • SenateUnanimous consent
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.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to issue an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card (ABT Card) to an individual who: (1) is a U.S. citizen, (2) has been approved and is in good standing in an existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) international trusted traveler program, and (3) is engaged in business in the Asia-Pacific region or is a U.S. government official engaged in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation business.

The bill: (1) transfers card program authority from the the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2011 (APECBTC Act) to the Homeland Security Act of 2002; and (2) makes the program, which is scheduled to end on September 30, 2018, permanent.

The CBP shall: (1) integrate application procedures for, and issuance, renewal, and revocation of, ABT cards with existing DHS international trusted traveler programs; (2) prescribe and collect a fee for card issuance and renewal, and (3) notify Congress if card program expenditures exceed collected amounts.

The bill establishes in the Treasury an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card Account (Account).

(Sec. 3) Amounts in the travel card account under the APECBTC Act are transferred to the Account and shall be available for expenses incurred with any card, and such Act is repealed. A card issued pursuant to such Act before the date of enactment of this bill shall remain valid until it expires.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 401 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

401 yea2 nay29 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(181)

Republicans who voted yea(220)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 569 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 2805Related bill

    Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Nov 2, 2017Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. Oct 26, 2017FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  3. Oct 23, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  4. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 2 (Roll no. 570).House roll call 570
  5. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  6. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 504.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  9. FloorFloor · Ms. McSally moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  10. Sep 27, 2017FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. Sep 26, 2017FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  15. Aug 1, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 190.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 115-140.
  17. May 17, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  18. Mar 2, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1104SenateSen. Mazie HironoD-HI· offered Sep 26, 2017Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Sep 26, 2017: Amendment SA 1104 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.