I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8637 
To provide competitive grants for the promotion of Japanese American con-
finement education as a means to understand the importance of demo-
cratic principles, use and abuse of power, and to raise awareness about 
the importance of cultural tolerance toward Japanese Americans, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 20, 2020 
Ms. MATSUI (for herself, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. CHENEY, 
Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. YOUNG, Ms. MENG, Mr. BUCK, Mr. 
CASE, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. NORTON, 
and Mr. SMITH of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To provide competitive grants for the promotion of Japanese 
American confinement education as a means to under-
stand the importance of democratic principles, use and 
abuse of power, and to raise awareness about the impor-
tance of cultural tolerance toward Japanese Americans, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Japanese American 
Confinement Education Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM.—The term 
‘‘Japanese American museum’’ means a museum lo-
cated in the United States established to promote 
the understanding and appreciation of the ethnic 
and cultural diversity of the United States by illus-
trating the Japanese American experience through-
out the history of the United States. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR JAPANESE AMERICAN 
CONFINEMENT EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
program to award competitive grants to a Japanese Amer-
ican museum to educate individuals in the United States 
on the historical importance of Japanese American con-
finement during World War II so that present and future 
generations may learn from Japanese American confine-
ment and the commitment of the United States to equal 
justice under the law. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under sub-
section (a)— 
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(1) shall be used— 
(A) for the research and education relating 
to the Japanese American confinement in 
World War II; and 
(B) for the disbursement of accurate, rel-
evant, and accessible resources to promote un-
derstanding about how and why the Japanese 
American confinement in World War II hap-
pened, which— 
(i) shall include digital resources; and 
(ii) may include other types of re-
sources, including print resources and exhi-
bitions; and 
(2) shall not be used at a Japanese American 
museum that does not provide— 
(A) free admission to individuals who were 
placed within a Japanese American confinement 
camp; and 
(B) dedicated free admission hours for the 
general public not less than once per month. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a Japanese American museum shall 
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
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(d) DEADLINE FOR AWARD.—Not later than 120 
days after the date on which the Secretary receives an ap-
plication from a Japanese American museum for a grant 
that is approved by the Secretary under this section, the 
Secretary shall award a grant to the Japanese American 
museum. 
(e) PRIORITY
CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding a 
grant under this section, the Secretary shall give priority 
using the following considerations: 
(1) The needs of the Japanese American mu-
seum. 
(2) The proximity of the project for which the 
grant funds will be used to cities with populations 
that include not less than 100,000 Japanese Ameri-
cans, as certified by the most recent census. 
(3) The ability and commitment of the Japa-
nese American museum to use grant funds— 
(A) to educate future generations of indi-
viduals in the United States; and 
(B) to locate Japanese American confine-
ment survivors. 
(4) The existing relationship the Japanese 
American museum has with Japanese American cul-
tural and advocacy organizations. 
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(f) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the end 
of each fiscal year for which a Japanese American mu-
seum obligates or expends amounts made available under 
a grant under this section, the Japanese American mu-
seum shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report that— 
(1) specifies the amount of grant funds obli-
gated or expended for the preceding fiscal year; 
(2) specifies any purposes for which the funds 
were obligated or expended; and 
(3) includes any other information that the Sec-
retary may require to more effectively administer the 
grant program. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this Act $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026. 
SEC. 4. PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC CONFINEMENT SITES. 
(a) SUNSET.—Section 1 of Public Law 109–441 (120 
Stat. 3288) is amended by striking subsection (e). 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
4 of Public Law 109–441 (120 Stat. 3290) is amended, 
in the first sentence— 
(1) by striking ‘‘are authorized’’ and inserting 
‘‘is authorized’’; and 
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(2) by inserting ‘‘for fiscal year 2021 and each 
fiscal year thereafter’’ after ‘‘this Act’’. 
Æ 
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