79–006 

1 ‘‘Scandinavian Immigration.’’ Harvard University Library Open Collections Program. Immigration to the United States 1789–1930. http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/scandinavian.html. 2 ‘‘Immigration . . . Scandinavian.’’ Library of Congress. Classroom Materials for Teachers. 

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/scandinavian.html. 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–931 

NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM ACT 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018.—Referred to the House Calendar 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 S. 2857] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 2857) to designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, as the ‘‘National Nordic Museum’’, 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 S. 2857 is to designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, as the ‘‘National Nordic Museum’’. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, about 2.5 million people immigrated to the United States from the five Nordic nations 

of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.1 They came to 

find new homes and livelihoods in the United States as they were 

seeking religious freedom and available farmland after experiencing repeated crop failures and religious persecution in their native lands.2 They settled primarily in the Midwest, with many 


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3 United States Census 2010. ‘‘Total Ancestry Reported.’’ American Community Survey. 

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_5YR_ 

B04003&prodType=table. 4 ‘‘About Us.’’ Nordic Museum website. http://nordicmuseum.org/about. 

5 ‘‘The New Nordic Museum.’’ Nordic Museum website. http://nordicmuseum.org/future. 

eventually moving to the Pacific Northwest. Today, millions of 

Americans trace their ancestry to the Nordic countries.3

Founded in 1980, the Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, is 

the only museum in the United States dedicated to the history, culture, and art of all five Nordic nations. The Museum highlights 

Nordic-American contributions in the United States and collects, 

preserves, and educates visitors about Nordic history, art and cultural traditions.4

The Museum has been a mainstay of Ballard, a Seattle neighborhood built by Nordic immigrants. The Museum’s new 57,000 

square-foot facility opened on May 5, 2018, with contributions from 

the City of Seattle, King County, the State of Washington, the Nordic Council (composed of representatives from the national parliaments of Nordic countries), the national museums of Denmark, 

Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, as well as many private individuals and foundations.5

S. 2857 will officially designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, 

Washington, as the National Nordic Museum. The Museum will 

not be a unit of, or affiliated with, the National Park System. The 

designation will not require federal funds to be expended for any 

purpose related to the Museum. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 2857 was introduced on May 16, 2018, by Senator Maria Cantwell (D–WA). The bill passed the Senate by voice vote on June 6, 

2018. In the House, the bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 

Federal Lands. On September 5, 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

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

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 enclosed cost estimate for the bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 


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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, September 10, 2018. 

Hon. ROB BISHOP, 

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed S. 2857, the National Nordic Museum Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on September 5, 2018. 

The legislation would designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, 

Washington, as the National Nordic Museum and would require 

that federal funds not be expended for that designation. CBO estimates that enacting S. 2857 would have not significant effect on 

the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting S. 2857 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

S. 2857 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

On June 8, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate of S. 2857, the 

National Nordic Museum Act, as passed by the Senate on June 6, 

2018. The two versions of the legislation are identical, and CBO’s 

estimates of their budgetary effects are the same. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani Shankaran. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL, 

Director. 

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 designate the Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, as the ‘‘National Nordic Museum’’. 

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. 

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 purVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Sep 12, 2018 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931

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suant 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 in existing law. 

Æ 


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