[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 924 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 924

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to replace the U.S. Fish and 
      Wildlife Service as the Federal agency responsible for the 
 administration, protection, and preservation of Midway Atoll, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2003

  Mr. Duncan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to replace the U.S. Fish and 
      Wildlife Service as the Federal agency responsible for the 
 administration, protection, and preservation of Midway Atoll, 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. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Public Law 106-113 directed the Secretary of the 
        Interior to designate Midway Atoll as a National Memorial to 
        the Battle of Midway.
            (2) Congress intended that Midway Atoll be preserved as a 
        memorial to the honor and courage of members of the United 
        States Armed Forces who participated in the critical battle 
        that was the turning point of the war in the Pacific during 
        World War II.
            (3) The designation was accomplished via Order 3217 by the 
        Secretary of the Interior on September 13, 2000.
            (4) Order 3217 designated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
        Service as the agency responsible for the development of the 
        National Memorial.
            (5) Public access to the Atoll is a critical component of 
        its status as both a national memorial to the Battle of Midway 
        and a wildlife preservation area.
            (6) The airport located on the Atoll should remain open and 
        available as an emergency airport for both civilian and 
        military aircraft.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF REPLACEMENT AGENCY.

    (a) Review.--The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with 
interested parties, shall conduct a review of the administration of 
Midway Atoll and the designation of the atoll as national memorial to 
the Battle of Midway.
    (b) Designation of Administering Agency.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
designate an agency within the Department of the Interior to replace 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as administrator of Midway Atoll and 
developer of the national memorial thereon.
    (c) Status of National Memorial.--The national memorial on Midway 
Atoll shall be given equal consideration with concerns over the 
preservation of wildlife in all matters related to the administration, 
development, and preservation of Midway Atoll.
    (d) Public Access.--The Secretary shall provide for public access 
to Midway Atoll in the most cost-effective manner available.
                                 <all>