FINAL BILL REPORT

HJM 4005

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Requesting the Postal Service to issue a postage stamp commemorating Nisei veterans.

Sponsors: Representatives Santos, Hasegawa, McCune, Hurst, Campbell, Pedersen, Hunter, Rodne, Warnick, Smith, Anderson, Ross, Angel, Walsh, Bailey, Roach, Shea, Upthegrove, Morrell, Ormsby, Hudgins, Conway, Rolfes, Kelley and Kenney.

House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs

Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

Background:

Japanese Americans have special terminology for family, based on the Japanese language of their heritage. "Nisei" means "second generation," referring to the children of those who came from Japan. The Nisei are American citizens by birth. During World War II, Nisei men and women served in the United States Army in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, and the Women's Army Corps. The Japanese American soldiers earned over 14,000 awards during World War II, including 21 Medals of Honor, nine Presidential Unit Citations, and 9,486 Purple Hearts.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has a stamp selection body: the 15-member Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee members are appointed by the Postmaster General and are tasked with evaluating the merits of all stamp proposals. The Committee's primary goal is to select subject of broad national interest for recommendation to the Postmaster General that are both interesting and educational. In addition, the Committee must consider 12 major criteria that guide subject selection. For example, no living person may be honored on U.S. postage and no stamp may be considered for issuance if the same subject has been honored within the past 50 years.

It is the general policy that United States postage stamps and stationery primarily will feature American or American-related subjects. The Committee meets four times yearly to review all eligible proposals that have been received since the previous meeting. At the meeting, the Committee considers all new proposals and takes one of two actions: it may reject the new proposal or it may set it aside for consideration for future issuance. Although the USPS relies heavily on the Committee for its advice, it has the exclusive and final authority to determine both the subject matter and the designs for United States postal stamps and postal stationery.

Summary:

The Washington State House of Representatives and Senate prays that the USPS issue a postage stamp in commemoration of the Nisei veterans' service in the United States Armed Forces during the Second World War.

Votes on Final Passage: