[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3747 Received in Senate (RDS)]
2d Session
H. R. 3747
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 15, 2002
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the site
commonly known as Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue in the State of
Washington for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Bainbridge Island
Japanese-American Memorial Study Act of 2002''.
(b) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) During World War II on February 19, 1942, President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, setting
in motion the forced exile of more than 110,000 Japanese
Americans.
(2) In Washington State, 12,892 men, women and children of
Japanese ancestry experienced three years of incarceration, an
incarceration violating the most basic freedoms of American
citizens.
(3) On March 30, 1942, 227 Bainbridge Island residents were
the first Japanese Americans in United States history to be
forcibly removed from their homes by the U.S. Army and sent to
internment camps. They boarded the ferry Kehloken from the
former Eagledale Ferry Dock, located at the end of Taylor
Avenue, in the city of Bainbridge Island, Washington State.
(4) The city of Bainbridge Island has adopted a resolution
stating that this site should be a National Memorial, and
similar resolutions have been introduced in the Washington
State Legislature.
(5) Both the Minidoka National Monument and Manzanar
National Historic Site can clearly tell the story of a time in
our Nation's history when constitutional rights were ignored.
These camps by design were placed in very remote places and are
not easily accessible. Bainbridge Island is a short ferry ride
from Seattle and the site would be within easy reach of many
more people.
(6) This is a unique opportunity to create a site that will
honor those who suffered, cherish the friends and community who
stood beside them and welcomed them home, and inspire all to
stand firm in the event our nation again succumbs to similar
fears.
(7) The site should be recognized by the National Park
Service based on its high degree of national significance,
association with significant events, and integrity of its
location and setting. This site is critical as an anchor for
future efforts to identify, interpret, serve, and ultimately
honor the Nikkei--persons of Japanese ancestry--influence on
Bainbridge Island.
SEC. 2. EAGLEDALE FERRY DOCK LOCATION AT TAYLOR AVENUE STUDY AND
REPORT.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a special
resource study regarding the national significance, suitability, and
feasibility of designating as a unit of the National Park System the
property commonly known as the Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue
and the historical events associated with it, located in the town of
Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County, Washington.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after funds are first made
available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary of the
Interior shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report describing the findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of the study.
(c) Requirements for Study.--Except as otherwise provided in this
section, the study under subsection (a) shall be conducted in
accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
Passed the House of Representatives November 15
(legislative day, November 14), 2002.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.