[Senate Report 119-4]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 30
119th Congress } Report
SENATE
1st Session } 119-4
_______________________________________________________________________
AMERICAN MUSIC TOURISM ACT OF 2025
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 195
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
March 14, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
_______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
59-010 WASHINGTON : 2025
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred nineteenth congress
first session
TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
TODD YOUNG, Indiana TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
TED BUDD, North Carolina JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
JOHN CURTIS, Utah JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
TIM SHEEHY, Montana ANDY KIM, New Jersey
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
Brad Grantz, Majority Staff Director
Lila Harper Helms, Democratic Staff Director
Calendar No. 30
119th Congress } Report
SENATE
1st Session } 119-4
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AMERICAN MUSIC TOURISM ACT OF 2025
_______
March 14, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Cruz, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 195]
[Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 195) to amend the Visit America
Act to promote music tourism, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of this legislation is to amend the Visit
America Act\1\ by directing the Assistant Secretary of Travel
and Tourism to identify locations and events in the United
States that facilitate and promote music tourism.
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\1\15 U.S.C. 9803.
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Background and Needs
The United States boasts one of the world's largest music
industries, generating over $43 billion in revenue each year
and attracting international tourism to the United States.\2\
Music tourism--both the act of visiting sites important to the
history of American music and the act of traveling to concerts
and music festivals--is a vital economic driver for communities
across the United States. The United States is starting to
consider major efforts to market its thriving music industry to
the world to maintain top entertainment leadership throughout
the 21st century.
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\2\``Putting the Band Back Together: Remastering the World of
Music,'' Citigroup, August 6, 2018 (https://www.citigroup.com/global/
insights/music-industry).
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The Department of Commerce's Assistant Secretary for Travel
and Tourism is responsible for supporting and promoting tourism
to the United States from international visitors to developing
policies to support competitiveness of the domestic travel and
tourism industry. The American Music Tourism Act would leverage
the Assistant Secretary's responsibility over travel and
tourism promotion to include the music tourism industry of the
United States. By doing so, the legislation would amend the
Visit America Act by directing the Assistant Secretary of
Travel and Tourism to facilitate and promote music tourism.
Legislative History
S. 195, the American Music Tourism Act, was introduced on
January 22, 2025, by Senator Blackburn (for herself and Senator
Hickenlooper) and was referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On February 5, 2025,
the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by voice vote,
ordered S. 195 reported favorably without amendment.
118th Congress
S. 4212, the American Music Tourism Act of 2024, was
introduced on April 30, 2024, by Senator Blackburn (for herself
and Senator Hickenlooper) and was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On July
31, 2024, the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by
voice vote, ordered S. 4212 reported favorably with an
amendment (in the nature of a substitute). On December 5, 2024,
that bill passed the Senate with an amendment by unanimous
consent.
A House companion bill to S. 4212, H.R. 8843 was introduced
on June 26, 2024, by Representative Harshbarger (for herself
and Representative Barragan) and was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives. Fifteen
cosponsors were added later.
Estimated Costs
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Summary of Legislation: On February 5, 2025, the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ordered
reported a total of 17 bills. This document provides estimates
for 5 of those bills.
S. 99, S. 195, and S. 245 would require the Department of
Commerce to study supply chains, promote music tourism, and
establish a working group on cyber insurance; S. 281 and S. 314
would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce new
prohibitions related to ticket prices for live events and hotel
prices.
Estimated Federal cost: The estimated costs do not include
any effects of interactions among the bills. If all five bills
were combined and enacted as a single piece of legislation, the
estimated costs could be different from the sum of the separate
estimates, although CBO expects that any differences would be
small. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function
370 (commerce and housing credit).
Basis of estimate: For these estimates, CBO assumes that
the bills will be enacted near the middle of fiscal year 2025
and that the estimated amounts will be appropriated each year.
CBO estimates that all five bills would affect spending subject
to appropriation and that S. 281 and S. 314 would affect
revenues.
S. 99, Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing
Act, would require the Department of Commerce to contract with
the National Academy of Public Administration to study programs
operated by the department that aim to improve the resilience
of critical supply chains and provide technical assistance to
U.S. manufacturers. The report would identify interagency gaps
and duplicative responsibilities among offices and recommend
improvements.
Using information from the Department of Commerce, CBO
estimates that completing the study would cost $2 million over
the 2025-2030 period, including employee and contracting costs.
Any related spending would be subject to the availability of
appropriated funds.
S. 195, American Music Tourism Act of 2025, would require
the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to
promote music tourism in the United States and periodically
report to the Congress. In 2024, the Assistant Secretary
received $3.5 million to carry out the requirements of the
Visit America Act, a 2022 law to promote travel and tourism in
the United States.
Using information about the Assistant Secretary's
responsibilities under current law, CBO estimates that
implementing the requirements in the bill would cost less than
$500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any related spending would
be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
S. 245, Insure Cybersecurity Act of 2025, would require the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration to
establish an interagency working group on cyber insurance,
composed of members from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency, Department of Justice, Department of the
Treasury, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and
the FTC. The working group would be required to report to the
Congress no later than one year after it forms.
Using information about the cost of similar working groups,
CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than
$500,000 over the 2025-2026 period. Any related spending would
be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
S. 281, TICKET Act, would require companies that issue
tickets or that sell tickets on the secondary market to clearly
display the total price of any ticket, including itemizing any
fees not included in the base ticket price. The bill also would
prohibit entities from offering or advertising tickets that
they do not possess, require entities to clearly disclose if a
ticket is for re-sale, and direct ticket sellers to refund
buyers if an event is cancelled. Those requirements would apply
to live events at venues with an attendance capacity of 200
people or more. The FTC would enforce those requirements.
Based on the cost of similar provisions, CBO estimates
implementing the bill would cost the FTC $4 million over the
2025-2030 period to issue guidance and to monitor and enforce
violations. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds. In addition, CBO estimates
that enacting the bill could increase civil penalty
collections, which are recorded in the budget as revenues, by
an insignificant amount.
S. 314, Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, would require
providers of short-term lodging and websites that advertise or
offer such lodging to display upfront the full lodging price
and each mandatory fee required to complete a booking. The FTC
would enforce those requirements.
Based on the cost of similar provisions, CBO estimates
implementing the bill would cost the FTC $4 million over the
2025-2030 period to issue guidance and to monitor and enforce
violations. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds. In addition, CBO estimates
that enacting the bill could increase civil penalty
collections, which are recorded in the budget as revenues, by
an insignificant amount.
Pay-As-You-Go considerations: CBO estimates that enacting
S. 281 and S. 314 would each increase revenues by less than
$500,000 over the 2025-2035 period; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures apply to those bills.
Increase in long-term net direct spending and deficits: CBO
estimates that none of the bills would increase net direct
spending or deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year
periods beginning in 2036.
Mandates: Two of the bills ordered reported by the
committee contain mandates, as defined in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act (UMRA).
S. 281, TICKET Act, would impose private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA on ticket sellers and resellers by requiring
certain changes, including new refund policies to the ticketing
process. CBO estimates the aggregate cost to comply with the
mandates would be above the threshold established in UMRA for
private-sector mandates ($206 million in 2025, adjusted
annually for inflation).
Under the bill, if an event is cancelled, ticket sellers
and resellers would be required to provide a refund of the full
ticket price, including taxes and fees, to ticket purchasers.
If an event is postponed, sellers and resellers would be
required to provide customers either a full refund or a
replacement ticket, if available, subject to the customer's
preference. Sellers also would be required to disclose this
refund policy. The bill allows for exceptions to this policy in
cases where the cancellation or postponement is beyond the
control of the ticker issuer, such as natural disasters. Based
on discussions with industry sources, a substantial share of
sellers and resellers already provide full refunds for
cancelled events but few offer refunds for postponed events.
Considerable uncertainty surrounds the ways that federal
regulations might define what is within the control of the
issuer in the event of a cancellation or postponement or what
might constitute comparable replacement events. Given the large
size of the industry and the amount of revenue generated by
ticketed events, CBO estimates that the cost of this mandate
would exceed the threshold for private-sector mandates.
S. 281 also would require ticket sellers and resellers to
make certain up-front disclosures to consumers. They would need
to disclose the ticket prices, including taxes and fees. Those
disclosures would occur at the time a ticket is first displayed
to a consumer and in any advertisements or marketing. The bill
also would require ticket sellers and resellers to provide an
itemized list of the base price and all fees. Information from
industry sources indicates that most ticket sellers have
already begun to provide the total cost to consumers in
advance; thus, CBO expects the additional requirements in the
bill to have small costs.
The bill also would require ticket resellers to disclose to
consumers that they are resellers before any purchase is
complete. Sellers and resellers would be prohibited from
selling or advertising any ticket that the seller does not have
actually or constructively possess. In certain instances,
sellers also would be prohibited from revealing to consumers
and using the name of venues, teams, artists, and events in
their online domain names. CBO expects that those disclosures
and prohibitions would impose minimal costs on the sellers.
The bill contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined
in UMRA.
S. 314, Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, would impose
intergovernmental and private-sector mandates as defined in
UMRA. CBO estimates that the cost to comply with those mandates
would not exceed thresholds established in UMRA ($103 million
and $206 million in 2025, respectively, adjusted annually for
inflation).
The bill would preempt state and local laws governing the
display of prices for short-term lodging. Although the
preemptions would limit the application of state and local
laws, it would impose no duty on state or local governments
that would result in significant spending or loss of revenues.
The bill would require hotels, short-term rentals, online
booking websites, and any other third-party temporary
accommodation sellers to disclose upfront the total price of
lodging, including any government-imposed fees. Information
from industry sources and the FTC indicates that several
lodging providers already comply with provisions in the bill.
In addition, an FTC final rule, set to go into effect in April,
will require short-term lodging sellers to disclose all
associated fees to customers. CBO expects the cost for other
entities to comply would be small because many providers
already comply and those who do not already possess the fee
information required to be displayed.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs and Revenues: David
Hughes; Mandates: Grace Watson and Rachel Austin.
Estimate reviewed by: Justin Humphrey, Chief, Finance,
Housing, and Education Cost Estimates Unit; Kathleen
FitzGerald, Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit; H. Samuel
Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Estimate approved by: Phillip L. Swagel, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
Regulatory Impact Statement
Because S. 195 does not create any new programs, the
legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will
result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation
will have no further effect on the number or types of
individuals and businesses regulated, the economic impact of
such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals,
or the paperwork required from such individuals and businesses.
Congressionally Directed Spending
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the
rule.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
This section would provide that the bill may be cited as
the ``American Music Tourism Act of 2025''.
Section 2. Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Travel and Tourism
This section would amend the roles and responsibilities of
the Assistant Secretary of Travel and Tourism to identify
locations and events in the United States that are important to
music tourism and facilitate and promote domestic travel and
tourism to those locations and events.
This section would add a new biennial reporting requirement
for the Assistant Secretary of Commerce to submit a report to
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the
activities, findings, and achievements and vulnerabilities to
reaching music tourism goals. The first report would be due to
Congress no later than 1 year after the date of enactment.
Lastly, this section would amend title VI of division BB of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023\3\ to include an
updated definition for music tourism.
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\3\15 U.S.C. 9801.
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Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
material is printed in italic, existing law in which no change
is proposed is shown in roman):
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023
* * * * * * *
DIVISION BB--CONSUMER PROTECTION AND COMMERCE
* * * * * * *
TITLE VI--TRAVEL AND TOURISM
[15 U.S.C. 9801]
SEC. 600. DEFINED TERM.
[In this title, the term ``COVID-19 public health
emergency''--]
In this title:
(1) COVID-19 public health emergency.--The term
``COVID-19 public health emergency''--
[(1)](A) means the public health emergency first
declared on January 31, 2020, by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services under section 319 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect
to COVID-19; and
[(2)](B) includes any renewal of such declaration
pursuant to such section 319.
(2) Music tourism.--The term ``music tourism''
means--
(A) the act of traveling to a State or
locality to visit historic or modern day music-
related attractions, including museums,
studios, venues of all sizes, and other sites
related to music; or
(B) the act of traveling to a State or
locality to attend a music festival, a concert,
or other live musical performance or music-
related special event.
Subtitle A--Travel Promotion
[Visit America Act]
* * * * * * *
[15 U.S.C. 9803(b)-(f)]
SEC. 605. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR
TRAVEL AND TOURISM.
(a) * * *
(b) Domestic Travel and Tourism.--The Assistant Secretary, to
the extent feasible, shall--
(1) evaluate, on an ongoing basis, domestic policy
options for supporting competitiveness with respect to
the strengths, weaknesses, and growth of the domestic
travel industry;
(2) develop recommendations and goals to support and
enhance domestic tourism, separated by business and
leisure[; and];
(3) engage public and private stakeholders to support
domestic tourism[.]; and
(4) identify locations and events in the United
States that are important to music tourism and
facilitate and promote domestic travel and tourism to
those locations and events.
(c) * * *
[(d) Facilitation of International Business Travel.--The
Assistant Secretary, in coordination with relevant Federal
agencies, shall strive to increase and facilitate international
business travel to the United States and ensure competitiveness
by--
[(1) facilitating large meetings, incentives,
conferences, and exhibitions in the United States;
[(2) emphasizing rural and other destinations in the
United States that are rich in cultural heritage or
ecological tourism, among other uniquely American
destinations, as locations for hosting international
meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions; and
[(3) facilitating sports and recreation events and
activities in the United States.]
(d) Facilitation of International Business and Leisure
Travel.--The Assistant Secretary, in coordination with relevant
Federal agencies, shall strive to increase and facilitate
international business and leisure travel to the United States
and ensure competitiveness by--
(1) facilitating large meetings, incentives,
conferences, and exhibitions in the United States;
(2) emphasizing rural and other destinations in the
United States that are rich in cultural heritage or
ecological tourism, among other uniquely American
destinations, as locations for hosting international
meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;
(3) facilitating and promoting international travel
and tourism to sports and recreation events and
activities in the United States; and
(4) identifying locations and events in the United
States that are important to music tourism and
facilitating and promoting international travel and
tourism to those locations and events.
(e) * * *
(f) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Assistant secretary.--The Assistant Secretary,
subject to the availability of appropriations, shall
produce an annual forecasting report on the travel and
tourism industry, which shall include current and
anticipated--
(A) domestic employment needs;
(B) international inbound volume and
spending, taking into account the lasting
effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency
and the impact of the recovery strategy
implemented pursuant to subsection (e)(1); and
(C) domestic volume and spending, including
Federal and State public land travel and
tourism data.
(2) Bureau of economic analysis.--The Director of the
Bureau of Economic Analysis, subject to the
availability of appropriations and to the extent
feasible, should make quarterly updates to the Travel
and Tourism Satellite Accounts, including--
(A) State-level travel and tourism spending
data;
(B) travel and tourism workforce data for
full-time and part-time employment; and
(C) Federal and State public lands outdoor
recreational activity and tourism spending
data.
(3) National travel and tourism office.--The Director
of the National Travel and Tourism Office--
(A) in partnership with the Bureau of
Economic Analysis and other relevant Federal
agencies, shall provide a monthly report on
international arrival and spending data to--
(i) the Travel and Tourism Advisory
Board; and
(ii) the public through a publicly
accessible website; and
(B) shall include questions in the Survey of
International Air Travelers regarding wait-
times, visits to public lands, and State data,
to the extent applicable.
(4) Report on goals relating to domestic and
international travel.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the American Music Tourism Act of
2025, and every 2 years thereafter, the Assistant
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report of activities, findings,
achievements, and vulnerabilities relating to the goals
described in subsections (a) through (d).
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