[House Report 115-991]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress   }                                     {        Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                     {       115-991

======================================================================



 
              WORLD WAR II PACIFIC SITES ESTABLISHMENT ACT

                                _______
                                

October 23, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted 
                             the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5706]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5706) to establish the Pearl Harbor National 
Memorial in the State of Hawai'i and the Honouliuli National 
Historic Site in the State of Hawai'i, and for other purposes, 
having considered the same, report favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 5706 is to establish the Pearl Harbor 
National Memorial in the State of Hawai'i and the Honouliuli 
National Historic Site in the State of Hawai'i.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. 
Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and sunk or damaged 20 ships in the 
Pacific Fleet, killing over 2,300 sailors, soldiers, and 
civilians.\1\ As President Roosevelt said, it is ``a date that 
will live in infamy''\2\ and the attack brought America fully 
into the second World War. Many of the servicemembers who lost 
their lives that day were aboard the USS Arizona. The wreck of 
that battleship still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and 
serves as the final resting place for more than 900 sailors and 
Marines.\3\ The USS Oklahoma and USS Utah also remain where 
they sank on that fateful day. Their remnants also serve as 
places of reflection, remembrance, as well as tombs of honor 
for the crew members who remain within.
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    \1\``Significance of the Monument''. World War II Valor in the 
Pacific website. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/valr/learn/
park-significance.htm.
    \2\``A Date Which Will Live in Infamy: FDR Asks for a Declaration 
of War.'' History Matters. The U.S. Survey Course on the Web. http://
historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166.
    \3\``Description of the Monument''. World War II Valor in the 
Pacific National Monument website. National Park Service. https://
www.nps.gov/valr/learn/description-of-the-park.htm.
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    The idea for a memorial at Pearl Harbor began during WWII 
and was finally realized in 1962. It was completed through the 
efforts of the territorial Pacific War Memorial Commission 
using both private funds and appropriated dollars.\4\ In 1980, 
the National Park Service (NPS) took over operation of the 
memorial, and a visitor center was built nearby. In 2006, 
Public Law 109-163 established the USS Oklahoma Memorial and it 
was placed under NPS management.
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    \4\Slackman, Michael. 1982. ``The USS Arizona Memorial and Visitor 
Center: An Administrative History.'' National Park Service. https://
www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/usar/adhi.pdf.
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    The creation of the World War II Valor in the Pacific 
National Monument in 2008 brought several WWII historic sites 
under one umbrella. That Monument includes three sites in 
Alaska, one in California, and five locations in Hawaii: (1) 
the USS Arizona Memorial; (2) the USS Oklahoma Memorial; (3) 
the USS Utah Memorial; (4) Ford Island; and (5) Battleship 
Row.\5\ Over 1.5 million people visit the USS Arizona Memorial 
each year, consistently ranking it among the top three most-
visited destinations in Hawaii each year.\6\
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    \5\Presidential Proclamation 8327. ``Establishment of World War II 
Valor in the Pacific National Monument''. December 5, 2008. https://
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title3-vol1/pdf/CFR-2009-title3-vol1-
proc8327.pdf.
    \6\``Annual Park Recreation Visitation''. Park Reports. National 
Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/
Reports/Park/VALR.
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    H.R. 5706 would establish the Pearl Harbor National 
Memorial as a distinct unit of the National Park System, 
separating it from World War II Valor in the Pacific National 
Monument. This new designation would not affect the existing 
management of the area. Currently, the Monument's sites in each 
State are managed separately. NPS has jurisdiction over the 
Hawaii sites, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has 
jurisdiction over the Alaska sites, and both agencies share 
joint jurisdiction and management of the California site.\7\
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    \7\``Foundation Statement--Alaska Unit.'' World War II Valor in the 
Pacific National Monument. US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park 
Service, Department of the Interior. September 2010. https://
www.fws.gov/alaska/nwr/planning/pdf/akmar/Valor_Foundationas_
Statement.pdf.
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    Honouliuli was the largest and longest-used World War II 
confinement site in the Hawaiian Islands.\8\ Located in 
southwest Oahu Island, it also served as a prisoner-of-war 
camp. The majority of Honouliuli's civilian internees were 
American citizens, predominately of Japanese descent. Martial 
law was declared by President Roosevelt just hours after the 
attacks on Pearl Harbor,\9\ and U.S. government officials began 
removing Hawaiian residents from their homes and imprisoning 
them in local jails and other facilities across the islands.
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    \8\``Historical Overview.'' Honouliuli National Monument website. 
National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/hono/learn/historical-
overview.htm.
    \9\Id.
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    The federal government initially considered the mass 
incarceration of Japanese Americans in Hawaii as it had done on 
the U.S. mainland. This was impractical, however, because over 
one third of Hawaii's population were Japanese American 
citizens and other immigrants.\10\ Without their participation 
in the labor force, the economy of the territory could not have 
been sustained and the war effort in the islands would have 
been crippled. Instead, the government selectively interred 
community, business, and religious leaders.\11\ Honouliuli camp 
opened in 1943 to confine internees for longer periods of time, 
and as an alternative to sending individuals to internment 
camps on the mainland. By war's end, over 2,000 people of 
Japanese ancestry from Hawaii were interned.\12\ None were ever 
found guilty of sabotage, espionage, or overt acts against the 
United States.\13\
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    \10\Presidential Proclamation 9234. ``Establishment of the 
Honouliuli National Monument''. February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/
fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf.
    \11\Id.
    \12\``Historical Overview.'' Honouliuli National Monument website. 
National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/hono/learn/historical-
overview.htm.
    \13\Presidential Proclamation 9234. ``Establishment of the 
Honouliuli National Monument''. February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/
fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf.
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    Honouliuli was established by proclamation as a national 
monument on February 24, 2015, by President Obama.\14\ H.R. 
5706 would redesignate the Monument as a national historic site 
and abolish the Monument. The boundaries and management of the 
site would not change. No funding is authorized by this bill.
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    \14\Presidential Proclamation 9234. ``Establishment of the 
Honouliuli National Monument''. February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/
fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf.
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                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 5706 was introduced on May 8, 2018, by Congresswoman 
Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI). The bill was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On September 6, 2018, the 
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On September 26, 2018, 
the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The 
Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments 
were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to 
the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 22, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5706, the World 
War II Pacific Sites Establishment Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jacob Fabian.
            Sincerely,
                                             Mark P. Hadley
                                        (For Keith Hall, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 5706--World War II Pacific Sites Establishment Act

    H.R. 5706 would establish the Pearl Harbor National 
Memorial as a distinct unit of the National Park System (NPS) 
and remove it from the World War II Valor in the Pacific 
National Monument in the state of Hawaii. Additionally, the 
bill would re-designate Honouliuli National Monument as the 
Honouliuli National Historic Site.
    Using information from the NPS, CBO estimates that 
implementing H.R. 5706 would have an insignificant cost over 
the 2019-2023 period because we expect that any additional 
costs to revise signs, brochures, and other informative 
materials would take place in conjunction with standard 
reprinting and routine maintenance. Any such spending would be 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
    Enacting H.R. 5706 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5706 would not increase 
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
    H.R. 5706 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jacob Fabian. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to establish the Pearl Harbor 
National Memorial in the State of Hawai'i and the Honouliuli 
National Historic Site in the State of Hawai'i.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                       COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

    Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any 
directed rule makings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

                                  [all]