The U.S. Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act. A companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives is now in committee

. The legislation--which in 2008 passed in the House but not the Senatebefore Congress adjourned--would create a non-profit corporation "to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel," according to the Senate version, and would impose a $10 fee on those foreign visitors not paying for a visa to enter the United States. Combined with private sector contributions and initial funding from the U.S. Treasury, user fees would support a newly created Travel Promotion Fund. The legislation also would establish within the U.S. Department of Commerce an Office of Travel Promotion.