This bill repeals a 1994 federal funding restriction that prevented the State Department from using government money to build and maintain U.S. pavilions at international world expos and trade fairs. The legislation allows the State Department to fund these pavilions going forward, though it requires the department to notify Congress at least 15 days before spending money on any expo pavilion and to include details about funding sources and expected economic benefits to the United States. The bill also requires contractors and grant recipients to certify compliance with labor laws, anti-corruption laws, and trafficking prevention requirements. According to the bill's findings, the previous funding ban left the U.S. as the only G7 country relying entirely on private donations for expo participation, causing the nation to miss opportunities like the 2000 Hanover expo and the 2008 Zaragoza expo, and ultimately requiring the United Arab Emirates to fund the U.S. pavilion at Dubai's 2020 expo. The State Department must submit a report to Congress within 180 days of each pavilion opening detailing participating U.S. businesses and the total funding received.
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