IB 

Union Calendar No. 279 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2201 

[Report No. 108–492, Part I] 

To authorize the establishment of a national database for purposes of identifying, locating, and cataloging the many memorials and permanent tributes to America’s veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2003 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

MAY 17, 2004 

Additional sponsors: Mr. FEENEY, Mr. RAHALL, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MARKEY, 

Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA ́, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. KIND, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 

Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BACA, Mr. FROST, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. LEE, Mr. 

RANGEL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. CASE, Mr. WEXLER, 

Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, and 

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico 

MAY 17, 2004 

Reported from the Committee on Resources 

MAY 17, 2004 

Referral to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs extended for a period ending 

not later than May 17, 2004 

MAY 17, 2004 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs discharged; committed to the Committee of 

the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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A BILL 

To authorize the establishment of a national database for 

purposes of identifying, locating, and cataloging the 

many memorials and permanent tributes to America’s 

veterans. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National War Perma5 nent Tribute Historical Database Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) on November 13, 2000, Congress agreed to 

9 a resolution expressing the sense of Congress re10 garding the need for cataloging and maintaining 

11 public memorials; 

12 (2) there are many thousands of public memo13 rials and permanent tributes throughout the United 

14 States and abroad that commemorate military con15 flicts of the United States and the service of individ16 uals in the Armed Forces; 

17 (3) many of these memorials suffer from ne18 glect and disrepair, and many have been relocated or 

19 stored in facilities where the memorials are unavail20 able to the public and subject to further neglect and 

21 damage; and 
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1 (4) there exists a need to collect and centralize 

2 information regarding the identification, location, 

3 and description of these memorials, as no such cata4 log is available to the public from either the Federal 

5 Government or any nongovernmental entity. 

6 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABASE. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In order to locate, identify, 

8 and catalog the many thousands of permanent tributes 

9 that commemorate the military conflicts of the United 

10 States, and the service and sacrifice of individuals in the 

11 Armed Forces of the United States, and to make such in12 formation readily available for the educational benefit of 

13 the public, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 

14 with the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, may establish and 

15 maintain a database known as the National War Perma16 nent Tribute Historical Database. 

17 (b) CONTENT.—The database shall contain informa18 tion on— 

19 (1) the location, history, and background of the 

20 permanent tributes; 

21 (2) photographs and other information to en22 hance the understanding of the permanent tributes; 

23 (3) information about the veterans in whose 

24 honor the permanent tributes are dedicated; and 
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1 (4) any other information the Secretary con2 siders appropriate and necessary. 

3 (c) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The database shall be made ac4 cessible to the public, through the Internet or by other 

5 means, in a format that permits the public to submit infor6 mation on permanent tributes for the purpose of updating 

7 and expanding the database. 

8 (d) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of the Interior may 

9 seek the assistance of other Federal agencies and the 

10 States and their political subdivisions, tribal governments, 

11 public or private educational institutions, non-profit orga12 nizations, and individuals or other entities that the Sec13 retary considers appropriate in carrying out this Act, and 

14 may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements to 

15 obtain information or services that assist in the develop16 ment and implementation of the database. 

17 (e) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 

18 ‘‘permanent tribute’’ means any statue, structure, or other 

19 monument on public property commemorating the service 

20 of any person or persons in the Armed Forces. 

21 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec23 retary of the Interior such sums as may be necessary to 

24 carry out this Act. 
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1 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

2 Within 3 years after the date of enactment of this 

3 Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall transmit to the 

4 Congress a report assessing the efficacy and desirability 

5 of establishing a permanent fund within the Treasury for 

6 the repair, restoration, and maintenance of the memorials 

7 identified and catalogued under section 3. The report shall 

8 include recommended criteria regarding appropriate re9 cipients of expenditures from such a fund as well as pro10 posed funding mechanisms and any other information con11 sidered by the Secretary to be relevant. 
Union Calendar No. 279 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2201 

[Report No. 108–492, Part I] 

A BILL 

To authorize the establishment of a national datatributes to America’s veterans. cataloging the many memorials and permanent base for purposes of identifying, locating, and 

MAY 17, 2004 

Reported from the Committee on Resources 

MAY 17, 2004 

Referral to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs extended 

for a period ending not later than May 17, 2004 

MAY 17, 2004 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs discharged; committed to 

Union and ordered to be printed the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the