SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2403

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          State & Local Government, February 24, 2000

 

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 History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/23/2000, 2/24/2000 [DP].

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

 

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

 

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.  As of January 31, 2000, 26 states had provided or pledged a total of $10.3 million in funding for the campaign, and a total of $70 million had been raised from all sources.

 

Summary of Bill:  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.

 

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 12, 2000.

 

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

 

Testimony For:  Washington State hasn=t contributed to the national WWII veterans= memorial yet.  This account will facilitate these public and private contributions.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Rep. Kastama, prime sponsor.