HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

HB 2403

Title: An act relating to national recognition of World War II veterans.

Brief Description: Creating the national World War II memorial account.

Sponsors: Representatives Kastama, Parlette, Conway, Koster, Lantz, Doumit, Poulsen, Cox, Ruderman, Wood, Linville, Dickerson, Sullivan, Hatfield, O'Brien, Lovick, Constantine, Delvin, Wensman, Pennington, Mitchell, Keiser, Cody, Talcott, Dunn, Haigh, McDonald, Van Luven, Edmonds, Ogden and Esser.

Brief Summary of Bill

$ Creates a nonappropriated account in support of the national World War II

Memorial campaign.

Background: In 1993, a federal law was signed that authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish a World War II (WWII) Memorial in the Washington, D.C. area. The law also authorized a board to advise the ABMC on site selection and design, and to promote and encourage donations for the building of the

memorial.

The WWII Memorial is to be the first national monument dedicated to those who served during WWII. The goal of the ABMC is to break ground by Veterans= Day, 2000.

The cost of the WWII Memorial is estimated at $100 million. The authorizing federal legislation requires funding to be raised via private (i.e., non-federal) donations. The campaign to raise funds includes an effort to encourage individual states to make donations toward the effort. Currently, 26 states have provided or pledged a total of $10.3 million in funding for the campaign. A total of $70 million has been raised to date from all sources.

Summary: A new nonappropriated account, the National World War II Memorial Account is created in the custody of the State Treasurer. The account may be funded from appropriations or other sources. Expenditures from the account may be used only in support of the national WWII Memorial, and must be authorized by the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Appropriation: None.