[Senate Report 114-201]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 345
114th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 114-201
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TO ENHANCE AND INTEGRATE NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM, EMPOWER NATIVE
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, INCREASE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN
FEDERAL TOURISM ASSETS, AND EXPAND HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
_______
January 12, 2016.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Barrasso, from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1579]
The Committee on Indian Affairs, to which was referred the
bill (S. 1579) to enhance and integrate Native American
tourism, empower Native American communities, increase
coordination and collaboration between Federal tourism assets,
and expand heritage and cultural tourism opportunities in the
United States, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 1579 is to enhance and integrate Native
American tourism into the National Travel and Tourism Strategy
and increase culturally appropriate Native American tourism
opportunities. The bill would foster the creation of tourism
jobs and support economic development for Native American
communities.
NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The bill, S. 1579, is needed to create new economic
development in Native American communities through the
expansion of cultural and heritage tourism. Current Federal
tourism policies and programs lack the coordination and
integration needed for American Indians, Alaska Natives and
Native Hawaiians to capitalize on the available Federal
resources to promote tourism.
BACKGROUND
The Department of Commerce estimates there were 34.938
million overseas travelers to the United States.\1\ One out of
18 Americans is employed by a travel or tourism related
business.\2\
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\1\U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
National Travel & Tourism Office. (December 2015).
\2\2015 Top Markets Report Travel and Tourism: A Market Assessment
Tool for U.S. Exports. Department of Commerce, International Trade
Administration, Industry & Analysis. (July 2015) Pg. 3. Accessed at:
http://trade.gov/topmarkets/pdf/Travel_and_Tourism_Top_
Markets_Report.pdf.
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In 2014, tourism in the United States was a $221 billion
industry.\3\
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\3\U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
National Travel & Tourism Office. (October 2015). Accessed at: http://
travel.trade.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Overseas.pdf.
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According to the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism
Association, there is growing interest in Indian Country as a
tourist attraction.\4\ According to the Department of Commerce
surveys, more than 1.65 million overseas travelers visited
Indian Country.\5\ Visitors to Indian Country increased from
3.5% (975,910) in 2011 to 4.8% (1.65 million) in 2014.\6\ From
2013 2014 American Indian communities saw increases in
travelers from China, the United Kingdom, and France.\7\
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\4\Testimony of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association,
President Sherry Rupert. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Oversight
Hearing. June 25, 2015.
\5\U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
National Travel & Tourism Office. (2015).
\6\U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
National Travel & Tourism Office. (2015).
\7\U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
National Travel & Tourism Office. (2015).
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Many Native American owned businesses and Indian tribes are
using culturally appropriate tourism as an economic development
strategy. For example, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe annually
conducts hundreds of tours on reservation land for
international and domestic tourists.\8\
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\8\Testimony of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association,
President Sherry Rupert. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Oversight
Hearing. June 25, 2015.
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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On June 16, 2015, Senator Schatz introduced S. 1579, along
with Senators Thune, Udall, Heller, Tester, Franken, Murkowski,
Rounds, Sullivan, Heitkamp, Hoeven and Peters. The bill was
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, which held a duly
called business meeting on October 7, 2015 to consider the
bill. By voice vote, the bill was ordered reported favorably
without amendment.
A companion bill, H.R. 3477, was introduced in the House,
on September 10, 2015, by Representative Mullin along with
Representatives Cole, Cramer, McCollum, Noem, Titus, and Young
co-sponsors. The bill was referred to the House Natural
Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native
Affairs on September 21, 2015. No further action has been taken
on the bill.
In the 113th Congress, on June 25, 2014, the Committee held
an oversight hearing on Economic Development: Encouraging
Investment in Indian Country, where the Committee received
testimony about the need for legislation to address tourism in
Indian Country and Native American communities.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF BILL AS ORDERED REPORTED
Sec. 1--Short title
Section 1 states that the Act may be cited as the `Native
American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act' or the
`NATIVE Act'.
Sec. 2--Purposes
This section states the purpose of the bill which is to
enhance and integrate Native American tourism through Federal
agency coordination and collaboration. The bill is intended to
facilitate tribal economic development in heritage and cultural
tourism by improving tribal self-determination and self-
governance and promoting self-sufficiency and Native American
communities.
The bill would facilitate an increase in domestic and
international visitors to rural and remote Native American
communities, provide grants, loans, and technical assistance to
Indian tribes and Indian organizations for infrastructure
development and tourism capacity, and elevate living standards
in Native American communities. The bill would support
innovative technology projects that will improve visitor
experiences on Federal websites.
Sec. 3--Definitions
Section 3 sets forth the definitions. This section defines
``agency'' as the term is defined in section 551 of title 5
United States Code; ``Indian tribe'' as the term is defined in
Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act;\9\ ``tribal organization'' as the term is
defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act;\10\ and ``Native Hawaiian
organization'' as the term is defined in section 7207 of the
Native Hawaiian Education Act.\11\
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\9\25 U.S.C. 450b.
\10\25 U.S.C. 450b.
\11\20 U.S.C. 7517.
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Sec. 4--Integrating Federal tourism assets to strengthen Native tourism
opportunities
Section 4(a) directs the Secretaries of Commerce and the
Interior to update management plans and tourism initiatives to
include Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
Section 4(b) directs other heads of agencies with
management and tourism initiatives to update management plans
and tourism initiatives to include Indian tribes and tribal
organizations.
Section 4(c) requires an outline of policy proposals for
the Federal Native American tourism plans. The policy outline
includes collecting travel and tourism data; incrementally
streamlining Federal agencies' maintenance of public records,
publications, and websites; creating a better user experience
on websites for domestic and international travelers; aligning
Federal agency websites and publications; identifying agency
programs that support tourism capacity building and that
sustain tourism infrastructure for Native American communities;
developing website visitor portals for tourism destinations;
developing bilingual interpretive and directional signage that
include the local Native American language or languages;
improving access to transportation programs to build tourism
and trade capacity for visitor enhancement and safety.
This section also directs the Departments of Commerce and
Interior to consult with Indian tribes and the Native American
community on their inclusion in Federal Native American tourism
plans.
Section 4(d) directs the Department of the Interior to
enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a cooperative
agreement with an entity dedicated to advancing American
Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian tourism which would
be a facilitator between the Secretaries of the Interior and
Commerce and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
The MOU or cooperative agreement will facilitate
identifying technical assistance and training areas of
participation for Indian tribes and tribal organizations in the
tourism industry and provide a means of delivery for technical
assistance and training.
Subject to appropriations, the head of each agency,
including the Secretaries of the Interior, Commerce,
Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Labor, can use
any funds made available to the head of an agency for
administrative funds for the entity or organization used to
facilitate the tourism agreements.
The Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce will develop
metrics to measure the effectiveness of each entity or
organization.
Section (e) requires the Departments of the Interior and
Commerce to submit a report within one year of enactment of
this Act to Congress. The report requires an analysis of how
both Departments of Commerce and the Interior are including
tribes and tribal organizations in management plans and tourism
initiatives. The report will also describe how the entities or
organizations that enter into MOUs or cooperative agreements
are creating participation of Indian tribes and tribal
organizations in the tourism industry and the effectiveness of
the entities or organizations based on the metrics developed by
the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce.
Sec. 5--Native American tourism and branding enhancement
Section 5(a) directs the heads of agencies to take actions
to create display areas and/or events for Indian tribes and
tribal organizations. The actions taken by the heads of
agencies should support efforts to identify and maintain the
local Native American community and should provide authentic
and respectful visitor experiences. It directs the heads of
agencies to provide assistance on explaining the relationship
between indigenous people and the United States and the
national identity. The heads of agencies will promote
understanding and respect for diverse cultures and how those
diverse cultures relate to the national tourism image of the
United States. It allows for the heads of agencies to enter
into MOUs with private organizations to display information
regarding Indian tribes and tribal organizations for tourists
at airports and ports of entry.
Section 5(b) makes grants from the Commission of the
Administration for Native Americans, Chairman of the National
Endowment for the Arts, Chairman of the National Endowment for
the Humanities and any other agencies administering grant
programs eligible for Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
The grants are to be used to support Indian tribes and tribal
organizations, as the First Peoples of the United States, to
use the arts and humanities to celebrate the diversity of the
United States.
Section 5(c) directs the Advisory Council of the
Smithsonian Institution and the Board of Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution to work with Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, and non-profit organizations to establish long-
term partnerships with museums and organizations not affiliated
with the Smithsonian. Through these partnerships, Indian tribes
and tribal organizations will share information and conduct
research to support tourism for Indian tribes and tribal
organizations.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The following cost estimate, as provided by the
Congressional Budget Office, dated November 13, 2015, was
prepared for S. 1579:
November 13, 2015.
Hon. John Barrasso,
Chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1579, the Native
American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan
Carroll.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
S. 1579--The Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience
Act
S. 1579 would direct the Secretaries of Commerce and the
Interior and other federal agencies that administer programs
related to recreation and tourism to update existing plans to
promote tourism among Indian communities. The bill would
require those secretaries to report to the Congress on efforts
to support Indian tribes' tourism-related programs and clarify
that tribal organizations are eligible to use certain federal
grants for such purposes.
Based on information from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and
other affected agencies about the extent of existing efforts to
promote tourism on tribal lands, CBO estimates that enacting S.
1579 would not significantly affect the federal budget. Because
tourism-related plans and programs administered by most federal
agencies already address such efforts, CBO expects that any
costs incurred by agencies to modify those plans and programs
to meet the specific requirements of S. 1579 would not exceed
$500,000; any such increase in spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
In addition CBO expects that enacting S. 1579 could
increase direct spending for other entities with mandatory
funding authority, such as the Corporation for Travel
Promotion. Because the bill could affect direct spending, pay-
as-you-go procedures apply; however, CBO estimates that any
such effects would be negligible. Enacting S. 1579 would not
affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 1579 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion
in any of the next four consecutive 10-year periods beginning
in 2026.
S. 1579 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll.
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The Committee has received no communications from the
Executive Branch regarding S. 1579.
REGULATORY AND PAPERWORK IMPACT STATEMENT
Paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the
Senate requires each report accompanying a bill to evaluate the
regulatory and paperwork impact that would be incurred in
carrying out the bill. The Committee believes that S. 1579 will
have a minimal impact on regulatory or paperwork requirements.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW (CORDON RULE)
In compliance with subsection 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, there are no changes to existing
law made by S. 1579, as ordered reported.
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