19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 112–597 

AMERICAN MEMORIAL PARK TINIAN ANNEX ACT 

JULY 17, 2012.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1103] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1103) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to develop, 

maintain, and administer an annex in Tinian, Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, as an extension of the American 

Memorial Park located in Saipan, 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. 1103 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to develop, maintain, and administer an annex in Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as an extension of the 

American Memorial Park located in Saipan. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The capture of Tinian, one of the three principal islands of the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the summer of 

1944 was one of the most important events of World War II. The 

establishment of an American air base on the island of Tinian 

brought the mainland of Japan within the range of our B–29 

Superfortress bombers. It was from the fields of Tinian that the 

war was brought to the Japanese homeland, hastening a Japanese 

surrender without an invasion. H.R. 1103 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Tinian annex to the American 

Memorial Park on the nearby island of Saipan. This would be done 

without conflicting with military needs as it would be developed on 

lands outside the military leased area, and National Park Service 


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(NPS) activities would be done in consultation with the Department of Defense. 

The American Memorial Park is a National Park System Affiliated Area. Affiliated Areas receive technical or financial aid from 

the NPS but are not units of the National Park System. The American Memorial Park was designated as Affiliated Areas by an act 

of Congress. The exact location of the annex on Tinian would be determined by NPS and the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in consultation with the Mayor of Tinian. The annex would 

be used to interpret the important aspects of North Field by highlighting the historic events related to the World War II Marianas 

Campaign. It would also be used as a curatorial storage space for 

World War II artifacts. 

A NPS Special Resource Study of the North Field Historic District, completed in 2001, found that North Field represents one of 

the major historic events of the Pacific War—the strategic bombing 

of the Japanese homeland and the use of the atomic bomb in war. 

These events led directly to the surrender of Japan and the end of 

World War II without the need for an invasion. The site is listed 

on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district 

and has been designated a national historic landmark. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1103 was introduced on March 15, 2011, by Congressman 

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D–MP). The bill was referred to 

the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to 

the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. 

On May 17, 2012, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On 

June 7, 2012, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the 

bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public 

Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments 

were offered, and the bill was adopted and 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

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 


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H.R. 1103—American Memorial Park Tinian Annex Act 

H.R. 1103 would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to develop and operate an annex on the island of Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as an extension of the 

American Memorial Park in Saipan. The annex would provide information related to the World War II Marianas Campaign and 

storage for World War II artifacts and would be located on public 

land at a site to be determined by the NPS and the Governor of 

the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Based on information provided by the NPS, CBO estimates that 

implementing H.R. 1103 would cost up to $3 million over the 2013– 

2017 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Such 

implementation costs would be primarily for constructing and operating a new facility. The cost of the bill could be much less than 

$3 million if the NPS were to utilize its existing facilities and staff 

on Tinian and did not develop a new facility with additional staff 

Enacting H.R. 1103 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 1103 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or 

tax expenditures. Based on information provided by the NPS, CBO 

estimates that implementing H.R. 1103 would cost up to $3 million 

over the 2013–2017 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Such implementation costs would be primarily for 

constructing and operating a new facility. The cost of the bill could 

be much less than $3 million if the NPS were to utilize its existing 

facilities and staff on Tinian and did not develop a new facility 

with additional staff. Enacting H.R. 1103 would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. 

3. 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior to develop, 

maintain, and administer an annex in Tinian, Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, as an extension of the American 

Memorial Park located in Saipan. 

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. 


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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 in existing law. 

Æ 


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