H.R. 8574

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8574 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8574

To authorize the Secretary of State to provide funds for a United 
States pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition 
or world's fair, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 29, 2026

Ms. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of State to provide funds for a United 
States pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition 
or world's fair, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Participation in International 
Expositions Act'' or the ``U.S. in Expos Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Since 1851, Expos have introduced global consumer 
markets to United States culture, products, and technology, 
showcasing innovations such as x-ray machines, typewriters, 
touchscreens, the Ford Mustang, Disneyland, the Statue of 
Liberty, electricity, and much more.
(2) These global mega-events have not only been platforms 
to display architectural marvels and technological advancement 
but have also served as opportunities for cultural exchange and 
diplomatic engagement.
(3) The United States uses Expos to promote American 
innovation, culture, and values, engaging global audiences and 
demonstrating the benefits of democratic principles, including 
free and fair trade and representative government.
(4) Expos facilitate people-to-people diplomacy while 
showcasing the latest American innovations that can help 
address global challenges and change the way we live.
(5) Expos are also competitive environments, where visible 
American engagement sends a message to visitors about United 
States leadership on the global stage.
(6) The Department of State is responsible for United 
States participation in international exhibitions, managing 
United States engagement with the Bureau of International 
Expositions (BIE), organizing United States participation at 
overseas Expos, and mobilizing international support for United 
States candidacies to host Expos.
(7) The United States has hosted more than two dozen 
world's fairs since its first in 1876 in Philadelphia.
(8) The last United States-hosted world's fair was ``The 
World of Rivers: Fresh Water as a Source of Life'' in New 
Orleans in 1984, which included 15 participating countries and 
drew 7.355 million visitors.
(9) Beginning in 1994, a statutory restriction limited 
Federal funding for United States presence at Expos.
(10) Until the 2025 Expo in Osaka, the United States was 
the only G7 country that relies on private donations to 
guarantee its presence at world expos, and the only country in 
the world that relied entirely on private funding for the 
creation of its pavilion.
(11) Sole reliance on private sector fundraising has caused 
the United States to miss out on important opportunities, 
including pulling out of the Hanover, Germany, Expo in 2000 and 
turning down an invitation to the Zaragoza, Spain, Expo in 
2008.
(12) Most recently, despite a two-year fundraising 
campaign, the Department of State was unable to raise private 
sector support for the United States Pavilion at Expo 2020 
Dubai, and had to accept support from the United Arab Emirates, 
the first time in history that a United States Pavilion at a 
world's fair was funded by the host country.
(13) In recognition of delays, design compromise, and the 
risk of not participating at all due to lack of Federal 
funding, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2023, which authorized the use of up to $25 million to support 
the United States pavilion at the 2025 Expo in Osaka, Japan--
the first authorization of its type.
(14) The United States pavilion at the 2025 Expo not only 
highlighted American leadership in technology, space 
exploration, tourism, and investment, but also proved to be the 
most popular pavilion, welcoming tens of millions of global 
visitors.
(15) The United States should consider such participation a 
diplomatic priority and make the necessary investments to 
continue to fund a United States Pavilion that best tells 
America's story to the millions of world visitors attending 
these mega-events.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL 
EXPOSITIONS.

(a) In General.--Section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg 
Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 
(22 U.S.C. 2452b) is repealed.
(b) Notification.--
(1) In general.--Funds otherwise available to the 
Department of State may be obligated for a United States 
pavilion at an international fair or exposition abroad 
registered by the Bureau of International Expositions only if 
the appropriate congressional committees are notified not less 
than 15 days prior to such obligation.
(2) Matters to be included.--Such notification shall 
include the following:
(A) A description of the source of such funds, 
including any funds reprogrammed or transferred by the 
Department of State to be made available for such 
pavilion.
(B) An estimate of the amount of investment such 
pavilion could bring to the United States.
(C) A description of funds for the pavilion 
expected to be provided from sources other than the 
United States Government.
(D) A description of the means by which the 
Department will require each entity receiving funds 
from the Department under a contract, grant, or other 
agreement to construct, maintain, or otherwise service 
such pavilion to certify that such entity--
(i) is not in violation of the labor laws 
of the host country, the Foreign Corrupt 
Practices Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-213), and 
any other applicable anti-corruption laws; and
(ii) does not employ, or otherwise utilize, 
a victim of trafficking (as defined in section 
103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)).
(c) Final Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
such a United States pavilion is opened, the Secretary of State shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
includes--
(1) the number of United States businesses that 
participated in such pavilion; and
(2) the dollar amount and source of any funds from other 
sources obtained by the Department.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
(1) The Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) The Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate.
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