Bill Summary
The Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act is a bill that aims to improve cooperation between the United States and Taiwan in regards to travel and tourism. This act was introduced in Congress and is currently being reviewed for approval.
Section 1 of the bill states its short title, which is the "Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act." This is the name by which the bill will be referred to and cited if it is passed into law.
Section 2 defines key terms used in the bill, such as "appropriate congressional committees" which are specific committees in the Senate and House of Representatives that will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the act. It also defines "Assistant Secretary" as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, who will be responsible for carrying out the provisions of the act.
Section 3 outlines the main goals of the act, which include expanding cooperation between the US and Taiwan on travel and tourism. It specifies that the Assistant Secretary, in coordination with the Secretaries of Commerce and State, will engage with Taiwanese authorities to identify opportunities for enhancing travel and strengthening the tourism industries in both countries.
Section 4 requires a report to be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees within 270 days of the act's enactment, and annually for the following five years. This report will detail the progress and challenges of implementing the provisions of the act.
The final section of the bill, Section 4, focuses on the establishment of preclearance facilities in Taiwan. This section requires a report to be submitted within 180 days of the act's enactment, which will analyze the feasibility and advisability of establishing these facilities, and assess the potential impacts on trade, tourism, and homeland security.
Overall, this bill aims to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Taiwan in the area of travel and tourism, and to enhance economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
Possible Impacts
1. The Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act could potentially lead to increased travel and tourism between the United States and Taiwan, providing economic benefits for both countries and promoting cultural exchange.
2. The Act may also lead to the establishment of a preclearance facility in Taiwan, allowing for smoother and more efficient travel between the two countries. This could benefit business travelers, tourists, and the overall trade relationship between the United States and Taiwan.
3. The expansion of cooperation on travel and tourism between the United States and Taiwan could also have positive impacts on the safety and security of international visitors, promoting a sense of trust and cooperation between the two countries.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2370 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2370
To improve the cooperation between the United States and the
authorities of Taiwan with respect to travel and tourism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2025
Mrs. Kim (for herself, Mr. Moolenaar, and Mr. Krishnamoorthi)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and
Commerce, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the cooperation between the United States and the
authorities of Taiwan with respect to travel and 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 ``Taiwan Travel and Tourism
Coordination Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(C) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and
Tourism.
SEC. 3. TOURISM COOPERATION WITH TAIWAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in coordination with
the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of State, shall seek to
engage the authorities of Taiwan with respect to expanding cooperation
between the United States and such authorities on travel and tourism.
(b) Cooperation Efforts.--
(1) In general.--In seeking to expand cooperation under
subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary, consistent with the
Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and applicable
export regulations, shall carry out efforts to identify and
pursue opportunities for--
(A) enhancing travel between the United States and
Taiwan; and
(B) strengthening the tourism industries of both
the United States and Taiwan in areas of mutual benefit
to the United States and the authorities of Taiwan,
including by--
(i) facilitating events and coordination
between travel and tourism industry partners,
the United States, and the authorities of
Taiwan, including hotel accommodations,
restaurant or foodservice, the small business
or retail sector, travel distribution services,
the attractions and recreation sector
(including outdoor recreation) city convention
and visitors' bureaus, State tourism offices,
the commercial and private passenger air travel
sector, and the land and sea passenger
transportation sector, and other industry
partners, as determined by the Assistant
Secretary;
(ii) advising on the preservation and
incentivization of travel to interact with
cultural heritage, artifacts, and landmarks;
(iii) coordinating on the safety and
security of international visitors; and
(iv) conducting activities of mutual
benefit relating to travel and tourism.
(2) Protection of sensitive and proprietary information and
economic interests of the united states.--In carrying out the
efforts and activities described in paragraph (1), the
Assistant Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary
of State shall take all appropriate measures to protect
sensitive information, intellectual property, trade secrets,
and the economic interests of the United States.
(c) Report.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the
subsequent five years, the Assistant Secretary, the Secretary
of Commerce, and the Secretary of State shall jointly submit a
report to the appropriate congressional committees that
describes the implementation of this section.
(2) Elements.--Each report required under paragraph (1)
shall include--
(A) a description of the cooperation efforts and
activities carried out pursuant to subsection (b)(1);
(B) the identification of any challenge or resource
gap that needs to be addressed to expand cooperation
between the United States and the authorities of Taiwan
with respect to travel and tourism; and
(C) any other matter the Assistant Secretary, the
Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary of State
considers relevant.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON PRECLEARANCE FACILITIES IN TAIWAN.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the
Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of State, shall submit a report
to the appropriate congressional committees that--
(1) analyzes the feasibility of, and the advisability for,
the establishment of a preclearance facility in Taiwan;
(2) describes the plan for the establishment of a
preclearance facility in Taiwan or in other locations in the
Indo-Pacific region;
(3) assesses the impacts that preclearance operations in
Taiwan will have on--
(A) trade between the United States and Taiwan,
including the impact on established supply chains;
(B) the tourism industry in the United States,
including the potential impact on revenue and tourist-
related commerce;
(C) United States and foreign passengers traveling
to the United States for business-related activities;
(D) cost savings and potential market access from
expanding operations into the Indo-Pacific region;
(E) opportunities for government-to-government
collaboration available in Taiwan after preclearance
operations are established;
(F) U.S. Customs and Border Patrol international
and domestic port of entry staffing; and
(G) the foreign policy objectives of the United
States in preserving and promoting extensive, close,
and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations
between the people of the United States and the people
of Taiwan; and
(4) includes specific information on the anticipated
homeland security benefits and the security vulnerabilities
associated with conducting preclearance operations in Taiwan.
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