[House Report 116-470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress  }                                             {    Report
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session     }                                             {   116-470

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



 
      WOMEN WHO WORKED ON THE HOME FRONT WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ACT

                                _______
                                

 August 7, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5068]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5068) to authorize the Women Who Worked on the 
Home Front Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the 
District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes, 
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Women Who Worked on the Home Front 
World War II Memorial Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH COMMEMORATIVE WORK.

  (a) In General.--The Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation 
may establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of 
Columbia and its environs to commemorate the commitment and service 
represented by women who worked on the home front during World War II.
  (b) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works.--The 
establishment of the commemorative work under this section shall be in 
accordance with chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code (commonly 
known as the ``Commemorative Works Act'').
  (c) Prohibition on the Use of Federal Funds.--
          (1) In general.--Federal funds may not be used to pay any 
        expense of the establishment of the commemorative work under 
        this section.
          (2) Responsibility of women who worked on the home front 
        foundation.--The Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation 
        shall be solely responsible for acceptance of contributions 
        for, and payment of the expenses of, the establishment of the 
        commemorative work under this section.
  (d) Deposit of Excess Funds.--
          (1) In general.--If upon payment of all expenses for the 
        establishment of the memorial (including the maintenance and 
        preservation amount required by section 8906(b)(1) of title 40, 
        United States Code), there remains a balance of funds received 
        for the establishment of the commemorative work, the Women Who 
        Worked on the Home Front Foundation shall transmit the amount 
        of the balance to the Secretary of the Interior for deposit in 
        the account provided for in section 8906(b)(3) of title 40, 
        United States Code.
          (2) On expiration of authority.--If upon expiration of the 
        authority for the commemorative work under section 8903(e) of 
        title 40, United States Code, there remains a balance of funds 
        received for the establishment of the commemorative work, the 
        Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation shall transmit 
        the amount of the balance to a separate account with the 
        National Park Foundation for memorials, to be available to the 
        Secretary of the Interior or Administrator (as appropriate) 
        following the process provided in section 8906(b)(4) of title 
        40, United States Code, for accounts established under section 
        8906(b)(2) or (3) of title 40, United States Code.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 5068 is to authorize the Women Who 
Worked on the Home Front Foundation to establish a 
commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its 
environs, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    During World War II, women filled thousands of jobs across 
the country that were historically filled by men in order to 
allow more men to go off to war to fight for our country. As a 
result, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased 
from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent between 1940 and 1945, 
with nearly one out of four married women working outside the 
home by 1945.\1\ Women worked on farms and in defense plants, 
fixed cars, flew military aircraft, and filled thousands of 
other jobs previously held by men. According to the National 
World War II Museum, ``[n]early 350,000 American women served 
in uniform, both at home and abroad, volunteering for the newly 
formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs, later renamed the 
Women's Army Corps), the Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES), the 
Marine Corps Women's Reserve, the Coast Guard Women's Reserve 
(SPARS), the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the Army 
Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps. General Eisenhower felt 
that he could not win the war without the aid of the women in 
uniform.''\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\The Role of Women, Nat'l Mem'l to the Women Who Worked on the 
Home Front Found., https://www.whfnmf.org/projects (last visited May 7, 
2020).
    \2\History at a Glance: Women in World War II, The Nat'l WWII 
Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-
resources/research-starters/women-wwii (last visited May 7, 2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    At the end of the war, many of these women were forced out 
of their jobs as men returned home. As the National World War 
II Museum puts it, ``[t]he nation that needed their help in a 
time of crisis, it seems, was not yet ready for the greater 
social equality that would slowly come in the decades to 
follow.''\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\Id.
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    H.R. 5068 would authorize the Women Who Worked on the Home 
Front Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal 
land in the District of Columbia and its environs to 
commemorate the commitment and service of the nearly 350,000 
American women who worked on the home front during World War 
II. The legislation stipulates that the work would be 
established in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act and 
without the use of federal funds. The Women Who Worked on the 
Home Front Commemorative Work was conceived of by District of 
Columbia resident Raya Kenney when she was in fifth grade; Ms. 
Kenney is now a high school senior.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 5068 was introduced on November 13, 2019, by 
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The bill was 
referred solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and 
within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests, and Public Lands. On December 4, 2019, the 
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On March 11, 2020, the 
Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The 
Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. Chair Raul M. 
Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. 
The bill, as amended, was adopted and ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 5068: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on December 4, 
2019.

            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, June 5, 2020.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
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. 5068, the Women 
Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is David Hughes.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

     
    

    H.R. 5068 would authorize the nonprofit Women Who Worked on 
the Home Front Foundation to establish a commemorative work in 
or near Washington, D.C. The bill would prohibit the use of 
federal funds to establish the memorial.
    The project would be subject to the provisions of the 
Commemorative Works Act. Under that act, any entity that 
receives a construction permit for a commemorative work must 
donate an amount equal to 10 percent of the memorial's 
estimated construction costs to the National Park Foundation, a 
nonprofit organization whose subsequent donations to the 
National Park Service are recorded on the budget. That donation 
and any project funds remaining after construction would be 
available for maintenance of the memorial without further 
appropriation.
    Based on the experience from similar projects, CBO expects 
that any amounts collected by the federal government for 
maintenance of the monument would not be received for several 
years and would be offset by expenditures soon thereafter. 
Thus, CBO estimates that the bill's net effect on direct 
spending would be negligible.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Hughes. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of Budget Analysis.
    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to authorize the Women Who Worked 
on the Home Front Foundation to establish a commemorative work 
in the District of Columbia and its environs.

                           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.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.