National Statuary Hall Collection.
The creation of the National Statuary Hall Collection was authorized by the United States (U.S.) Congress in 1864 to allow each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display in the U.S. Capitol.  The National Statuary Hall Collection comprises 100 statues contributed by the 50 states.  Washington has donated two statues to the National Statuary Hall Collection:  a statue of Marcus Whitman was donated in 1949, and a statue of Mother Joseph was donated in 1977.  Replicas of these statues are found in the north vestibule of the state legislative building.
 
In 2000 Congress enacted legislation that authorized any state to request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the state has provided if:  (1) the request has been approved by a resolution adopted by the Legislature of the state and approved by the Governor of the state; and (2) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the U.S.  Capitol for at least 10 years as of the time the request is made unless a waiver is provided.
 
The resolution adopted by the state Legislature must:

• identify the statue to be replaced;
• name the individual to be newly commemorated and cite his or her qualifications;
• select a committee to represent the state in selecting a sculptor; and
• direct the method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the resolution into effect.

A duly authorized state official, usually the Governor, must submit to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) a written request to provide a new statue, and must include a description of the location in the state where the replaced statue will be displayed after it is transferred back to the state, a copy of the applicable enacted state legislation authorizing the replacement, and whether a committee has been authorized to act on the state's behalf in the process.
 
Once the replacement request is approved by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, the state must enter into an agreement with the AOC.  The agreement guides the replacement process and consists of the state's commitment to follow the AOC guidelines for the design and fabrication of statues and to take responsibility for costs associated with the replacement process.
 
Billy Frank Jr.
Billy Frank Jr. was born in Washington on March 9, 1931, and was a Nisqually tribal member.  He was known for his commitment to protecting the endangered salmon and his efforts to protect the treaty rights guaranteed to Washington tribes and tribal members.  The treaties contained language which secured for the tribes the right to fish at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations.  Billy Frank Jr. helped to organize "fish-ins" and demonstrations to reassert the tribal fishing rights that were reserved in the treaties.  These events eventually led to what is known as "The Boldt Decision" in United States v. Washington, a 1974 federal court case that reaffirmed tribal rights to harvest salmon and steelhead and established treaty tribes as comanagers of Washington fisheries.

Billy Frank Jr. served as Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for nearly 30 years.  He was involved in the restoration of the Nisqually River Delta, a project which removed the dike system that held back seawater and was a step in the recovery of habitat for wildlife.  In 1974 the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the delta and the diversity of fish and wildlife habitats.

Billy Frank Jr. received several awards, including the Common Cause Award for Human Rights Efforts, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, the American Indian Distinguished Service Award, the 2006 Wallace Stegner Award, and the Washington State Environmental Excellence Award.  In 2015 Billy Frank Jr. was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.  Billy Frank Jr. died on May 5, 2014, at the age of 83.

The Legislature expresses its request that the statue of Marcus Whitman be removed from the National Statuary Hall Collection and replaced with the statue of Billy Frank Jr.
 
The Billy Frank Jr. National Statuary Hall Selection Committee (Committee) is established to represent the state in carrying out the replacement process.  Upon approval of the replacement request by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, the Governor must convene the committee.  The committee must:

• enter into an agreement with the AOC to carry out the replacement process;
• select and contract with a sculptor to design and carve or cast a statue of Billy Frank Jr., and design and fabricate its pedestal;
• ensure that the statue designed and created complies with the AOC guidelines;
• arrange for the removal and transportation of the Marcus Whitman statue to Washington;
• arrange for an unveiling ceremony at the relocation site for the Marcus Whitman statue;
• arrange for one or more ceremonies to celebrate the unveiling of the Billy Frank Jr. statue; and
• perform all other matters necessary to complete the replacement process.

 
The committee consists of the following members, who shall select the chair of the committee:

• the Governor or his or her designee;
• the Lieutenant Governor;
• the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
• the minority leader from the Senate and the minority leader from the House of Representatives;
• two members representing the western Washington treaty tribes, appointed by the Governor who must solicit three nominees from the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission;
• one member representing an environmental or environmental justice nonprofit organization, appointed by the Governor;
• one member from Billy Frank Jr.'s family, appointed by the Governor;
• one member from the Washington State Legacy Project;
• one member from the state Division of Archives and Records Management;
• one member from the Washington State Historical Society;
• one member from the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation; and
• one member from the Washington Arts Commission.

 
The committee may accept gifts, grants, or endowments for the purpose of carrying out its responsibilities in the replacement process.  However, no general fund resources may be used to carry out the replacement process.  The Billy Frank Jr. National Statuary Hall Collection Fund is created in the custody of the State Treasurer, where all receipts from any gifts, grants, or endowments must be deposited.
 
By September 30, 2021, the Governor must submit to the AOC a written request to remove the Marcus Whitman statue and replace it with a Billy Frank Jr. statue, and must notify the AOC that the Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the state in the replacement process.  The Governor must select the location where the Marcus Whitman statue will be displayed after it is removed and returned to the state.