Travel Promotion Act of 2009

Travel Promotion Act of 2009

Enacted by	the 111th United States Congress
Citations
Public law	111-145
Codification
Titles amended	8, 22
U.S.C. sections created	22 U.S.C. § 2123, § 2123a, § 2131
U.S.C. sections amended	8 U.S.C. § 1187(h)(3)(B)
Legislative history
Introduced in the House by Robert Brady on March 4, 2009 Committee consideration by House Administration Passed the House on March 31, 2009 (416–1) Passed the Senate on October 29, 2009 (unanimous consent) with amendment House agreed to Senate amendment on November 6, 2009 (voice vote) with further amendment Senate agreed to House amendment on February 25, 2010 (78–18) Signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 4, 2010

The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Pub.L. 111–145, Sec. 9) is a law creating the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a public-private partnership tasked with promoting tourism in the United States. To fund the Corporation's activities, the Act provides for a fee of $10 for use of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Additionally, the Act authorizes a further charge to recover the costs of providing and administrating the ESTA.

The House passed the bill by a vote of 358–66 in October 2009, and the Senate followed on February 25, 2010 with a vote of 78–18. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law on March 4, 2010.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced they will level an additional $4 fee (bringing the total to $14) for visitors to the United States for the cost of administering the ESTA.

The reactions of the European Union have been critical and suggestions of a similar fee have been raised on grounds of reciprocity.

Brand USA (formerly Corporation for Travel Promotion) gets matching funds from the federal government equivalent to what it raises from the private sector, not to exceed a maximum of $100 million.

On July 22, 2014, the House voted to pass the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 Act (H.R. 4450; 113th Congress), a bill that would extend the provisions of the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which established the Corporation for Travel Promotion, through September 30, 2020, and impose new performance and procurement requirements on the corporation.

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