Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Memorial Study Act of 2002

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 * (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Memorial Study Act of 2002’’.
 * (b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
 * (1) During World War II on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, setting in motion the forced exile of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans.
 * (2) In Washington State, 12,892 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry experienced three years of incarceration, an incarceration violating the most basic freedoms of American citizens.
 * (3) On March 30, 1942, 227 Bainbridge Island residents were the first Japanese Americans in United States history to be forcibly removed from their homes by the U.S. Army and sent to internment camps. They boarded the ferry Kehloken from the former Eagledale Ferry Dock, located at the end of Taylor Avenue, in the city of Bainbridge Island, Washington State.
 * (4) The city of Bainbridge Island has adopted a resolution stating that this site should be a National Memorial, and similar resolutions have been introduced in the Washington State Legislature.
 * (5) Both the Minidoka National Monument and Manzanar National Historic Site can clearly tell the story of a time in our Nation’s history when constitutional rights were ignored. These camps by design were placed in very remote places and are not easily accessible. Bainbridge Island is a short ferry ride from Seattle and the site would be within easy reach of many more people.


 * (6) This is a unique opportunity to create a site that will honor those who suffered, cherish the friends and community who stood beside them and welcomed them home, and inspire all to stand firm in the event our nation again succumbs to similar fears.


 * (7) The site should be recognized by the National Park Service based on its high degree of national significance, association with significant events, and integrity of its location and setting. This site is critical as an anchor for future efforts to identify, interpret, serve, and ultimately honor the Nikkei— persons of Japanese ancestry—influence on Bainbridge Island.

SEC. 2. EAGLEDALE FERRY DOCK LOCATION AT TAYLOR AVENUE STUDY AND REPORT.

 * (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a special resource study regarding the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating as a unit of the National Park System the property commonly known as the Eagledale Ferry Dock at Taylor Avenue and the historical events associated with it, located in the town of Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County, Washington.


 * (b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after funds are first made available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report describing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study.


 * (c) REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDY.—Except as otherwise provided in this section, the study under subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)).

Approved December 2, 2002.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

 * H.R. 3747: (S. 1894) (S. 1959)
 * HOUSE REPORTS: No. 107–690 (Comm. on Resources).
 * SENATE REPORTS: No. 107–196 accompanying S. 1894 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
 * CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 148 (2002):
 * Nov. 14, considered and passed House.
 * Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.