In order to ensure that the United States’ national interest in tourism is fully considered in Federal decision making, there is established a coordinating council to be known as the Tourism Policy Council (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Council”).

The Council shall consist of the following individuals:

(1) The Secretary of Commerce, who shall serve as the Chairman of the Council.

(2) The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

(3) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(4) The Secretary of State.

(5) The Secretary of the Interior.

(6) The Secretary of Labor.

(7) The Secretary of Transportation.

(8) The Commissioner of the United States Customs Service.

(9) The President of the United States National Tourism Organization.

(10) The Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

(11) Representatives of other Federal agencies which have affected interests at each meeting as deemed appropriate and invited by the Chairman.

Members of the Council shall serve without additional compensation.

The Council shall conduct its first meeting not later than 6 months after October 11, 1996. Thereafter the Council shall meet not less than 2 times each year.

The Council shall coordinate national policies and programs relating to international travel and tourism, recreation, and national heritage resources, which involve Federal agencies;

(1) The Council shall coordinate national policies and programs relating to international travel and tourism, recreation, and national heritage resources, which involve Federal agencies;

(2) The Council may request directly from any Federal department or agency such personnel, information, services, or facilities as deemed necessary by the Chairman and to the extent permitted by law and within the limits of available funds.

(3) Federal departments and agencies may, in their discretion, detail to temporary duty with the Council such personnel as the Chairman may request for carrying out the functions of the Council. Each such detail of personnel shall be without loss of seniority, pay, or other employee status.

Where necessary to prevent the public disclosure of non-public information which may be presented by a Council member, the Council may hold, at the discretion of the Chairman, a closed meeting which may exclude any individual who is not an officer or employee of the United States.

The Council shall submit an annual report for the preceding fiscal year to the President for transmittal to the Congress on or before December 31 of each year. The report shall include—

(1) a comprehensive and detailed report of the activities and accomplishments of the Council;

(2) the results of Council efforts to coordinate the policies and programs of member’s agencies that have a significant effect on international travel and tourism, recreation, and national heritage resources, including progress toward resolving interagency conflicts and development of cooperative program activity;

(3) an analysis of problems referred to the Council by State and local governments, the tourism industry, the United States National Tourism Organization, the Secretary of Commerce, along with a detailed summary of any action taken or anticipated to resolve such problems; and

(4) any recommendation as deemed appropriate by the Council.

The membership of the President of the United States National Tourism Organization on the Council shall not in itself make the Federal Advisory Committee Act applicable to the Council.

(Pub. L. 87–63, title III, § 301, as added Pub. L. 104–288, § 11, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3408.)