Sponsors (2)
This bill aims to strengthen and coordinate North American travel and tourism policy—potentially boosting exports, jobs, and convenience for travelers—while raising modest risks of added taxpayer costs, resource tradeoffs, accessibility/clarity issues from cross-references to existing law, and possible security or representation concerns.
Small travel- and tourism-related businesses and workers (including exporters of travel services) may see more demand, export opportunities, and job growth from coordinated North American promotion, a USMCA tourism working group, and policy alignment that reinforces the U.S. role in travel services.
Middle-class families and other Americans could experience easier, more convenient cross-border travel to Canada and Mexico, preserving tourism access and the jobs supported by those visits.
Trade negotiators, agencies, and state governments get a clear, consistent statutory definition of 'North America' by referencing the existing USMCA/19 U.S.C. § 4502(9) language, reducing duplication and ambiguity across trade texts and guidance.
Referencing the USMCA statutory definition rather than restating it could create transitional confusion and make the operative meaning less accessible to businesses and officials who must consult 19 U.S.C. § 4502(9).
Implementing delegation participation, working groups, and any follow-on initiatives could increase federal administrative and implementation costs that are ultimately paid by taxpayers.
Prioritizing cross-border travel facilitation and export growth could shift policy focus or resources away from other domestic priorities (or require tradeoffs in spending) without guaranteeing measurable benefits to every community.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 5, 2026 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress February 5, 2026
Requires USTR to seek creation of a trilateral USMCA Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group with specified membership, duties, annual meetings, and congressional briefings to boost regional tourism.
Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to push for creation of a trilateral Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group under the USMCA at the first post-enactment joint review, establishes who must participate and consult, and sets duties, meeting frequency, and reporting/briefing requirements to certain congressional committees. The bill also states congressional findings on the economic importance of travel and tourism and defines "North America" and "USMCA" for purposes of the Act.