[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3732-H3733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1545
           JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II HISTORY NETWORK ACT

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6434) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish, 
within the National Park Service, the Japanese American World War II 
History Network, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6434

       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 ``Japanese American World War 
     II History Network Act''.

     SEC. 2. JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II HISTORY NETWORK.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     (hereinafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     establish, within the National Park Service, a program to be 
     known as the ``Japanese American World War II History 
     Network'' (hereinafter referred to as the ``Network'').
       (b) Duties of Secretary.--In carrying out the Network, the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) review studies and reports to complement and not 
     duplicate studies of Japanese American World War II history 
     and Japanese American experiences during World War II, 
     including studies related to relocation centers and 
     confinement sites, that are underway or completed;
       (2) produce and disseminate appropriate educational 
     materials, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or 
     electronic information relating to Japanese American World 
     War II history and Japanese American experiences during the 
     war, including relocation centers and confinement sites;
       (3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and 
     memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance 
     under subsection (c); and
       (4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or 
     device for the Network; and
       (B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device 
     adopted under subparagraph (A).
       (c) Elements.--The Network shall encompass the following 
     elements:
       (1) All units and programs of the National Park Service 
     that are determined by the Secretary to relate to Japanese 
     American World War II history and Japanese American 
     experiences during the war, including relocation centers and 
     confinement sites.
       (2) With the consent of the property owner, other Federal, 
     State, local, Tribal, and privately owned properties that--
       (A) relate to Japanese American World War II history and 
     Japanese experiences during the war, including relocation 
     centers and confinement sites;
       (B) have a verifiable connection to Japanese American World 
     War II history and Japanese experiences during the war, 
     including relocation and confinement sites; and
       (C) are included in, or determined by the Secretary to be 
     eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic 
     Places.
       (3) Other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and 
     programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature 
     that are directly related to Japanese American World War II 
     history and the experiences of Japanese Americans during the 
     war, including relocation centers and confinement sites.

     SEC. 3. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND MEMORANDA OF 
                   UNDERSTANDING.

       To achieve the purposes of this Act and to ensure effective 
     coordination of the Federal and non-Federal elements of the 
     Network described in section 2(c) with units of the National 
     Park System and programs of the National Park Service, 
     including the Japanese American Confinement Sites Program, 
     the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and 
     memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical 
     assistance to the heads of other Federal agencies, States, 
     units of local government, Tribes, regional governmental 
     bodies, and private entities.

     SEC. 4. SUNSET.

       The authority of the Secretary under this Act shall expire 
     7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material for the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6434, the Japanese American 
World War II History Network Act, introduced by my Natural Resources 
Committee colleague, Representative Jay Obernolte.
  This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the 
Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park 
Service.
  Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Government wrongfully imprisoned 
approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. 
citizens. Many of the U.S. Government's activities during World War II 
were done in secrecy and were not accurately represented to the public 
in the years after the war.
  Designating this network will support education and awareness of the 
people, places, and events that were associated with the wrongful 
incarceration of Japanese Americans.
  This effort will be a welcome complement to the existing Japanese 
American Confinement Sites Grant Program, which we are looking to 
reauthorize and strengthen today through Representative Matsui's 
legislation, which we considered earlier this afternoon.
  I thank Representative Obernolte for championing this legislation, 
and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6434, offered by my 
committee colleague, Mr. Obernolte of California, to establish a 
Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park 
Service.
  As Chairman Grijalva stated, this bill is complementary to the 
previous bill we considered today with the JACS program in it.
  Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese 
Americans were forcibly removed from the West Coast to relocation 
centers across the United States. Japanese

[[Page H3733]]

Americans were imprisoned without trial and forced to relocate to some 
of the most remote areas of our country, with few personal belongings. 
My State of Arkansas was home to two relocation camps, Rohwer in Desha 
County and Jerome in Chicot and Drew Counties.
  Mr. Obernolte's bill, which I have proudly cosponsored, would 
establish a cohesive national network to increase the visibility of all 
sites related to the Japanese American experience during World War II. 
The network will be similar to existing networks established in recent 
years to connect sites associated with the Underground Railroad, the 
Reconstruction era, and the African American civil rights movement.
  At the legislative hearing, Mr. Bruce Saito, chair of the Friends of 
Manzanar, testified about this critical network, saying: ``We must 
continue to strengthen the network and continue to connect the dots 
through the network so this tragic and very important lesson in history 
is never forgotten.''
  The new network will be an important tool to ensure that this 
history, no matter how painful it may be, is always remembered, and the 
important stories of interned Japanese Americans are told with honor 
and respect.
  In addition to the Friends of Manzanar, we have received letters of 
support from the Amache Preservation Society, the National Conference 
of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Japanese American 
Historical Society, and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
  I commend Mr. Obernolte for his work on this important legislation 
that will help future generations learn from and reflect on the 
experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support, 
and I thank Mr. Obernolte for introducing the legislation. I urge 
adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Obernolte, our colleague on 
the committee, and Ms. Matsui, a former colleague on the committee, for 
two pieces of very important legislation that look at the realism that 
we need to look at in terms of our history as a Nation. They are 
complementary and good pieces of legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I urge approval, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6434.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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