II 

116TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 4683 

To designate the Battleship IOWA Museum, located in Los Angeles, California, as the National Museum of the Surface Navy, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To designate the Battleship IOWA Museum, located in Los 

Angeles, California, as the National Museum of the Surface Navy, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Battleship Iowa Na5 tional Museum of the Surface Navy Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The United States Surface Navy represents 

9 the millions of sailors and thousands of ships that 


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1 sail on oceans around the world to ensure the safety 

2 and freedom of Americans and all people. 

3 (2) The Battleship IOWA is an iconic Surface 

4 Navy vessel that— 

5 (A) served as home to hundreds of thou6 sands of sailors from all 50 States; and 

7 (B) is recognized as a transformational 

8 feat of engineering and innovation. 

9 (3) In 2012, the Navy donated the Battleship 

10 IOWA to the Pacific Battleship Center, a nonprofit 

11 organization pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the In12 ternal Revenue Code of 1986, after which the Center 

13 established the Battleship IOWA Museum at the 

14 Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. 

15 (4) The Battleship IOWA Museum is a mu16 seum and educational institution that— 

17 (A) has welcomed millions of visitors from 

18 across the United States and receives support 

19 from thousands of Americans throughout the 

20 United States to preserve the legacy of those 

21 who served on the Battleship IOWA and all 

22 Surface Navy ships; 

23 (B) is home to Los Angeles Fleet Week, 

24 which has the highest public engagement of any 

25 Fleet Week in the United States and raises 


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1 awareness of the importance of the Navy to de2 fending the United States, maintaining safe sea 

3 lanes, and providing humanitarian assistance; 

4 (C) hosts numerous military activities, in5 cluding enlistments, re-enlistments, commission6 ings, promotions, and community service days, 

7 with participants from throughout the United 

8 States; 

9 (D) is a leader in museum engagement 

10 with innovative exhibits, diverse programming, 

11 and use of technology; 

12 (E) is an on-site training platform for Fed13 eral, State, and local law enforcement personnel 

14 to use for a variety of training exercises, includ15 ing urban search and rescue and maritime secu16 rity exercises; 

17 (F) is a partner with the Navy in carrying 

18 out Defense Support of Civil Authorities efforts 

19 by supporting training exercises and responses 

20 to crises, including the COVID–19 pandemic; 

21 (G) is a science, technology, engineering, 

22 and mathematics education platform for thou23 sands of students each year; 

24 (H) is an instrumental partner in the eco25 nomic development efforts along the Los AngeVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Oct 14, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4683.IS S4683

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1 les waterfront by attracting hundreds of thou2 sands of visitors annually and improving the 

3 quality of life for area residents; and 

4 (I) provides a safe place for— 

5 (i) veteran engagement and reintegra6 tion into the community through programs 

7 and activities that provide a sense of be8 longing to members of the Armed Forces 

9 and veterans; and 

10 (ii) proud Americans to come together 

11 in common purpose to highlight the impor12 tance of service to community for the fu13 ture of the United States. 

14 (5) In January 2019, the Pacific Battleship 

15 Center received a license for the rights of the Na16 tional Museum of the Surface Navy from the Navy 

17 for the purpose of building such museum aboard the 

18 Battleship IOWA at the Port of Los Angeles. 

19 (6) The National Museum of the Surface Navy 

20 will— 

21 (A) be the official museum to honor mil22 lions of Americans who have proudly served and 

23 continue to serve in the Surface Navy since the 

24 founding of the Navy on October 13, 1775; 


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1 (B) be a community-based and future-ori2 ented museum that will raise awareness and 

3 educate the public on the important role of the 

4 Surface Navy in ensuring international rela5 tions, maintaining safe sea transit for free 

6 trade, preventing piracy, providing humani7 tarian assistance, and enhancing the role of the 

8 United States throughout the world; 

9 (C) build on successes of the Battleship 

10 IOWA Museum by introducing new exhibits and 

11 programs with a focus on education, veterans, 

12 and community; 

13 (D) borrow and exhibit artifacts from the 

14 Navy and other museums and individuals 

15 throughout the United States; and 

16 (E) work with individuals from the Surface 

17 Navy community and the public to ensure that 

18 the story of the Surface Navy community is ac19 curately interpreted and represented. 

20 SEC. 3. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE SURFACE NAVY. 

21 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Battleship IOWA Museum, 

22 located in Los Angeles, California, and managed by the 

23 Pacific Battleship Center, shall be designated as the ‘‘Na24 tional Museum of the Surface Navy’’. 


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1 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the National Mu2 seum of the Surface Navy shall be to— 

3 (1) provide and support— 

4 (A) a museum dedicated to the United 

5 States Surface Navy community; and 

6 (B) a platform for education, community, 

7 and veterans programs; 

8 (2) preserve, maintain, and interpret artifacts, 

9 documents, images, stories, and history collected by 

10 the museum; and 

11 (3) ensure that the American people understand 

12 the importance of the Surface Navy in the continued 

13 freedom, safety, and security of the United States. 

Æ 


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