Report Title:

Tourism Visas; U.S. Department of Commerce

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, travel and tourism has evolved as an established leader in today's modern services economy; in 1996, a record 46.5 million international visitors made the United States their destination of choice, with inbound tourism supporting over one million American jobs; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Commerce is responsible for providing improved economic accountability on the impact of travel and tourism at the national, state, and local levels; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Commerce's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tourism Industries serves as the principal point-of-contact for the United States Tourism industry on policy and tourism trade development issues; and the Office of Tourism Industries functions as the United States federal tourism office, responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating international travel and tourism statistics; and

WHEREAS, generally, international visitors to the United States must obtain a visa, although travelers from the twenty-nine countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program may visit without a visa; and

WHEREAS, currently, nonimmigrant visas for temporary business or tourism stays are the province of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the United States Department of State; the Visa Waiver Pilot Program is administered by the Attorney General in consultation with the Secretary of State; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Tourism Industries of the Department of Commerce provides travel advisories and information on visas for United States citizens, similar to services provided by the United States Department of State; and

WHEREAS, the Commerce Department recently received $200,000 in federal funds to provide more comprehensive data on the economic impact of travel and tourism on the United States economy; and

WHEREAS, given the Commerce Department's responsibility for the development of international trade which includes international tourism, duties and responsibility related to nonimmigrant visas for temporary stay, as well as the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, might more appropriately be included within the duties and responsibility of the Department of Commerce; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the President and the Congress are encouraged to transfer all duties and responsibilities related to nonimmigrant visas for a temporary stay and the Visa Waiver Pilot Program from the Department of State to the Department of Commerce; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of State, the United States Attorney General, and to Hawaii's congressional delegation.