89–006 

1 ‘‘Significance of the Monument’’. World War II Valor in the Pacific website. National Park 

Service. https://www.nps.gov/valr/learn/park-significance.htm. 2 ‘‘A Date Which Will Live in Infamy: FDR Asks for a Declaration of War.’’ History Matters. 

The U.S. Survey Course on the Web. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166. 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–991 

WORLD WAR II PACIFIC SITES ESTABLISHMENT ACT 

OCTOBER 23, 2018.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 5706] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 5706) to establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial 

in the State of Hawai’i and the Honouliuli National Historic Site 

in the State of Hawai’i, 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. 5706 is to establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the State of Hawai’i and the Honouliuli National Historic Site in the State of Hawai’i. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. Naval 

Base at Pearl Harbor and sunk or damaged 20 ships in the Pacific 

Fleet, killing over 2,300 sailors, soldiers, and civilians.1 As President Roosevelt said, it is ‘‘a date that will live in infamy’’ 2 and the 

attack brought America fully into the second World War. Many of 

the servicemembers who lost their lives that day were aboard the 

USS Arizona. The wreck of that battleship still lies at the bottom 

of Pearl Harbor and serves as the final resting place for more than 


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3 ‘‘Description of the Monument’’. World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument 

website. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/valr/learn/description-of-the-park.htm. 4Slackman, Michael. 1982. ‘‘The USS Arizona Memorial and Visitor Center: An Administrative History.’’ National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/usar/ 

adhi.pdf. 5Presidential Proclamation 8327. ‘‘Establishment of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument’’. December 5, 2008. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title3-vol1/pdf/ 

CFR-2009-title3-vol1-proc8327.pdf. 6 ‘‘Annual Park Recreation Visitation’’. Park Reports. National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/Park/VALR. 7 ‘‘Foundation Statement—Alaska Unit.’’ World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. September 2010. https://www.fws.gov/alaska/nwr/planning/pdf/akmar/Valor_Foundationas_ Statement.pdf. 8 ‘‘Historical Overview.’’ Honouliuli National Monument website. National Park Service. 

https://www.nps.gov/hono/learn/historical-overview.htm. 9 Id. 

900 sailors and Marines.3 The USS Oklahoma and USS Utah also 

remain where they sank on that fateful day. Their remnants also 

serve as places of reflection, remembrance, as well as tombs of 

honor for the crew members who remain within. 

The idea for a memorial at Pearl Harbor began during WWII and 

was finally realized in 1962. It was completed through the efforts 

of the territorial Pacific War Memorial Commission using both private funds and appropriated dollars.4 In 1980, the National Park 

Service (NPS) took over operation of the memorial, and a visitor 

center was built nearby. In 2006, Public Law 109–163 established 

the USS Oklahoma Memorial and it was placed under NPS management. 

The creation of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National 

Monument in 2008 brought several WWII historic sites under one 

umbrella. That Monument includes three sites in Alaska, one in 

California, and five locations in Hawaii: (1) the USS Arizona Memorial; (2) the USS Oklahoma Memorial; (3) the USS Utah Memorial; (4) Ford Island; and (5) Battleship Row.5 Over 1.5 million people visit the USS Arizona Memorial each year, consistently ranking 

it among the top three most-visited destinations in Hawaii each 

year.6

H.R. 5706 would establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial 

as a distinct unit of the National Park System, separating it from 

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. This new 

designation would not affect the existing management of the area. 

Currently, the Monument’s sites in each State are managed separately. NPS has jurisdiction over the Hawaii sites, the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service has jurisdiction over the Alaska sites, and 

both agencies share joint jurisdiction and management of the California site.7

Honouliuli was the largest and longest-used World War II confinement site in the Hawaiian Islands.8 Located in southwest Oahu 

Island, it also served as a prisoner-of-war camp. The majority of 

Honouliuli’s civilian internees were American citizens, predominately of Japanese descent. Martial law was declared by President 

Roosevelt just hours after the attacks on Pearl Harbor,9 and U.S. 

government officials began removing Hawaiian residents from their 

homes and imprisoning them in local jails and other facilities 

across the islands. 

The federal government initially considered the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans in Hawaii as it had done on the U.S. 

mainland. This was impractical, however, because over one third of 


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10Presidential Proclamation 9234. ‘‘Establishment of the Honouliuli National Monument’’. 

February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf. 11 Id. 12 ‘‘Historical Overview.’’ Honouliuli National Monument website. National Park Service. 

https://www.nps.gov/hono/learn/historical-overview.htm. 13Presidential Proclamation 9234. ‘‘Establishment of the Honouliuli National Monument’’. 

February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf. 14Presidential Proclamation 9234. ‘‘Establishment of the Honouliuli National Monument’’. 

February 24, 2015. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201500123/pdf/DCPD-201500123.pdf. 

Hawaii’s population were Japanese American citizens and other 

immigrants.10 Without their participation in the labor force, the 

economy of the territory could not have been sustained and the war 

effort in the islands would have been crippled. Instead, the government selectively interred community, business, and religious leaders.11 Honouliuli camp opened in 1943 to confine internees for 

longer periods of time, and as an alternative to sending individuals 

to internment camps on the mainland. By war’s end, over 2,000 

people of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii were interned.12 None 

were ever found guilty of sabotage, espionage, or overt acts against 

the United States.13

Honouliuli was established by proclamation as a national monument on February 24, 2015, by President Obama.14 H.R. 5706 

would redesignate the Monument as a national historic site and 

abolish the Monument. The boundaries and management of the 

site would not change. No funding is authorized by this bill. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 5706 was introduced on May 8, 2018, by Congresswoman 

Colleen Hanabusa (D–HI). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On September 6, 2018, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On September 26, 2018, the 

Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments 

were offered, and the bill was 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 AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

ACT

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and sections 308(a) and 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 

received the following estimate for the bill from the Director of the 

Congressional Budget Office: 


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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, October 22, 2018. 

Hon. ROB BISHOP, 

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5706, the World War II 

Pacific Sites Establishment Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jacob Fabian. 

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Keith Hall, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 5706—World War II Pacific Sites Establishment Act 

H.R. 5706 would establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial 

as a distinct unit of the National Park System (NPS) and remove 

it from the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument 

in the state of Hawaii. Additionally, the bill would re-designate 

Honouliuli National Monument as the Honouliuli National Historic 

Site. 

Using information from the NPS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5706 would have an insignificant cost over the 2019– 

2023 period because we expect that any additional costs to revise 

signs, brochures, and other informative materials would take place 

in conjunction with standard reprinting and routine maintenance. 

Any such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

Enacting H.R. 5706 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

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

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5706 would not increase net 

direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

H.R. 5706 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jacob Fabian. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. 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 establish the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in 

the State of Hawai’i and the Honouliuli National Historic Site in 

the State of Hawai’i. 

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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COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any directed 

rule makings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

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 to existing law. 

Æ 


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