Japanese American Confinement Education Act

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- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8637 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Japanese American 2 Confinement Education Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 4 In this Act: 5 (1) JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM.—The term 6 ‘‘Japanese American museum’’ means a museum lo- 7 cated in the United States established to promote 8 the understanding and appreciation of the ethnic 9 and cultural diversity of the United States by illus- 10 trating the Japanese American experience through- 11 out the history of the United States. 12 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 13 the Secretary of the Interior. 14 SEC. 3. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR JAPANESE AMERICAN 15 CONFINEMENT EDUCATION. 16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 17 program to award competitive grants to a Japanese Amer- 18 ican museum to educate individuals in the United States 19 on the historical importance of Japanese American con- 20 finement during World War II so that present and future 21 generations may learn from Japanese American confine- 22 ment and the commitment of the United States to equal 23 justice under the law. 24 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under sub- 25 section (a)— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8637 IH (1) shall be used— 1 (A) for the research and education relating 2 to the Japanese American confinement in 3 World War II; and 4 (B) for the disbursement of accurate, rel- 5 evant, and accessible resources to promote un- 6 derstanding about how and why the Japanese 7 American confinement in World War II hap- 8 pened, which— 9 (i) shall include digital resources; and 10 (ii) may include other types of re- 11 sources, including print resources and exhi- 12 bitions; and 13 (2) shall not be used at a Japanese American 14 museum that does not provide— 15 (A) free admission to individuals who were 16 placed within a Japanese American confinement 17 camp; and 18 (B) dedicated free admission hours for the 19 general public not less than once per month. 20 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 21 under this section, a Japanese American museum shall 22 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 23 such manner, and containing such information as the Sec- 24 retary may require. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8637 IH (d) DEADLINE FOR AWARD.—Not later than 120 1 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an ap- 2 plication from a Japanese American museum for a grant 3 that is approved by the Secretary under this section, the 4 Secretary shall award a grant to the Japanese American 5 museum. 6 (e) PRIORITY CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding a 7 grant under this section, the Secretary shall give priority 8 using the following considerations: 9 (1) The needs of the Japanese American mu- 10 seum. 11 (2) The proximity of the project for which the 12 grant funds will be used to cities with populations 13 that include not less than 100,000 Japanese Ameri- 14 cans, as certified by the most recent census. 15 (3) The ability and commitment of the Japa- 16 nese American museum to use grant funds— 17 (A) to educate future generations of indi- 18 viduals in the United States; and 19 (B) to locate Japanese American confine- 20 ment survivors. 21 (4) The existing relationship the Japanese 22 American museum has with Japanese American cul- 23 tural and advocacy organizations. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8637 IH (f) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the end 1 of each fiscal year for which a Japanese American mu- 2 seum obligates or expends amounts made available under 3 a grant under this section, the Japanese American mu- 4 seum shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate 5 committees of Congress a report that— 6 (1) specifies the amount of grant funds obli- 7 gated or expended for the preceding fiscal year; 8 (2) specifies any purposes for which the funds 9 were obligated or expended; and 10 (3) includes any other information that the Sec- 11 retary may require to more effectively administer the 12 grant program. 13 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 14 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 15 out this Act $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 16 through 2026. 17 SEC. 4. PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC CONFINEMENT SITES. 18 (a) SUNSET.—Section 1 of Public Law 109–441 (120 19 Stat. 3288) is amended by striking subsection (e). 20 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 21 4 of Public Law 109–441 (120 Stat. 3290) is amended, 22 in the first sentence— 23 (1) by striking ‘‘are authorized’’ and inserting 24 ‘‘is authorized’’; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8637 IH (2) by inserting ‘‘for fiscal year 2021 and each 1 fiscal year thereafter’’ after ‘‘this Act’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:43 Nov 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS