American Music Tourism Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 617
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-29: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 59.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-11T14:08:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The American Music Tourism Act of 2025 amends the Visit America Act (part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023) to expand the role of the U.S. Department of Commerce in promoting travel related to music. Its main goal is to boost domestic and international tourism to music-related sites, events, and attractions, recognizing music as a key cultural draw to enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global tourism market.
Key Provisions
- Expanded Responsibilities for Domestic Tourism: The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism must identify U.S. locations and events significant to music tourism (e.g., historic sites, museums, studios, venues, festivals, and concerts) and promote domestic travel to them.
- Enhanced Focus on International Tourism: The Assistant Secretary, working with other federal agencies, must facilitate international business and leisure travel by:
- Supporting large events like meetings, conferences, and exhibitions.
- Highlighting rural and culturally rich U.S. destinations for such events.
- Promoting travel to sports and recreation activities.
- Specifically targeting music tourism locations and events to attract international visitors.
- Reporting Requirements: The Assistant Secretary must submit biennial reports (starting one year after enactment) to Senate and House committees on activities, findings, achievements, and challenges related to domestic and international travel promotion goals.
- Definition of Music Tourism: Introduces a clear definition—"music tourism" means traveling to a U.S. state or locality to visit music-related attractions (e.g., museums, studios, venues) or attend live performances, festivals, concerts, or music events.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amendments to Visit America Act (15 U.S.C. 9803):
- Adds music tourism as a fourth priority in domestic travel promotion (Section 605(b)).
- Replaces and expands the international travel facilitation subsection (Section 605(d)) to include music tourism alongside existing focuses on events, rural areas, and sports.
- Introduces new reporting on travel goals (Section 605(f)(4)).
- Updates to Definitions (15 U.S.C. 9801): Adds "music tourism" as a defined term and restructures the section for clarity, without altering the existing "COVID-19 public health emergency" definition.
These changes build on the Visit America Act's framework for post-pandemic tourism recovery by integrating music as a targeted sector.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The Department of Commerce gains new duties to coordinate music tourism promotion, potentially increasing workload and requiring collaboration with agencies like the National Park Service or State Department. Biennial reporting could improve oversight but add administrative burdens.
- On Citizens: U.S. residents may see more accessible domestic travel options to music sites, supporting local jobs and economies in music hubs (e.g., Nashville, New Orleans). It could enhance cultural experiences without direct costs to individuals.
- On International Relations: By promoting U.S. music heritage, the Act could strengthen soft power and cultural diplomacy, attracting more foreign visitors and boosting the economy through tourism revenue (estimated at billions annually for the sector). No direct impacts on trade or security relations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Tourism and Music Industries: Event organizers, venues, festivals, museums, and studios benefit from targeted promotion, potentially increasing attendance and revenue.
- Local Governments and Communities: Regions with music heritage (e.g., rural or urban areas tied to genres like jazz, country, or rock) gain economic boosts from visitor spending on lodging, food, and services.
- International Visitors and Travel Agencies: Easier promotion of U.S. music events could draw more global tourists, aiding the broader hospitality sector.
- Federal Government: Primarily the Commerce Department's Travel and Tourism office, with indirect involvement from congressional committees overseeing reports.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The Act is straightforward administrative expansion with no new enforcement powers or penalties; it relies on existing Commerce Department authority under the Visit America Act. The added definition clarifies scope without ambiguity.
- Constitutional: No significant issues, as it involves federal promotion of interstate commerce (a congressional power under Article I, Section 8) and does not infringe on states' rights—states can still lead local implementations.
- Political: Politically neutral but culturally appealing, it highlights American music as a bipartisan asset for economic growth. Could face minimal controversy, though funding for implementation (not specified) might spark budget debates in future appropriations.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1]
Cosponsors (10)
Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3], Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9], Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-29: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 59.
- 2025-04-28: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2025-04-28: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1635-1636)
- 2025-04-28: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1635-1636)
- 2025-04-28: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 617.
- 2025-04-28: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1635-1637)
- 2025-04-28: Mr. Bilirakis moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- 2025-04-24: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 46.
- 2025-04-24: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-69.
- 2025-04-24: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-69.
- 2025-04-08: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 52 - 1.
- 2025-04-08: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2025-01-22: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-01-22: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-22: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- American Music Tourism Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-28 — PDF (6 pages)
- American Music Tourism Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-22 — PDF (5 pages)
- American Music Tourism Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-29 — PDF (6 pages)
- American Music Tourism Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-24 — PDF (8 pages)