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[House Report 112-597]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     112-597

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                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 (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:

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.

                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.

                                  
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