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HR4619 • 2026

Japanese-Americans/WWII

Honoring Japanese-Americans who suffered relocation and internment during World War II.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Representative Jinkins, Representative Stokesbary, Representative Abbarno, Representative Abell, Representative Barkis, Representative Barnard, Representative Berg, Representative Bergquist, Representative Bernbaum, Representative Berry, Representative Bronoske, Representative Burnett, Representative Valdez, Representative Callan, Representative Chase, Representative Connors, Representative Corry, Representative Cortes, Representative Couture, Representative Davis, Representative Dent, Representative Doglio, Representative Donaghy, Representative Duerr, Representative Dufault, Representative Dye, Representative Engell, Representative Entenman, Representative Eslick, Representative Farivar, Representative Fey, Representative Fitzgibbon, Representative Fosse, Representative Goodman, Representative Graham, Representative Gregerson, Representative Griffey, Representative Hackney, Representative Hill, Representative Hunt, Representative Jacobsen, Representative Keaton, Representative Klicker, Representative Kloba, Representative Leavitt, Representative Lekanoff, Representative Ley, Representative Low, Representative Macri, Representative Manjarrez, Representative Marshall, Representative McClintock, Representative McEntire, Representative Mena, Representative Mendoza, Representative Morgan, Representative Nance, Representative Obras, Representative Orcutt, Representative Ormsby, Representative Ortiz-Self, Representative Parshley, Representative Paul, Representative Penner, Representative Peterson, Representative Pollet, Representative Ramel, Representative Reed, Representative Reeves, Representative Richards, Representative Rude, Representative Rule, Representative Ryu, Representative Salahuddin, Representative Santos, Representative Schmick, Representative Schmidt, Representative Scott, Representative Shavers, Representative Simmons, Representative Springer, Representative Stearns, Representative Steele, Representative Stonier, Representative Street, Representative Stuebe, Representative Taylor, Representative Thai, Representative Tharinger, Representative Thomas, Representative Timmons, Representative Volz, Representative Walen, Representative Walsh, Representative Waters, Representative Wylie, Representative Ybarra, Representative Zahn
Last action
2025-02-19
Official status
H Adopted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Japanese-Americans/WWII

Japanese-Americans/WWII

What This Bill Does

  • Japanese-Americans/WWII

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-19 House

    Adopted.

Official Summary Text

Japanese-Americans/WWII

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
WHEREAS, On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1
issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the United States 2
military to forcibly remove and incarcerate more than 120,000 persons 3
of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast, including 12,000 Japanese-4
American residents of Washington State; and 5
WHEREAS, The first civilian evacuation order gave Japanese-6
Americans from Bainbridge Island, Washington less than one week to 7
leave behind homes, personal belongings, farms, businesses, friends, 8
and family and report to detention centers like Camp Harmony on the 9
grounds of the Washington State fair in Puyallup, where hastily 10
converted horse stables housed the evacuated families; and11
WHEREAS, These detention centers were temporary quarters for the 12
evacuees while the United States military constructed mass 13
incarceration sites for Japanese-Americans located in remote inland 14
areas of the United States; and 15
WHEREAS, This drastic policy of forced removal allegedly aimed to 16
prevent acts of espionage and sabotage by Japanese-Americans who were 17
deemed untrustworthy and disloyal to the United States; and18
WHEREAS, On March 23, 1943, the War Department organized the 19
442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese-20
Americans, most of whom reported for military duty from the 21
concentration camps in which they and their families were held as 22
prisoners surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards; and23
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4619 , by Representatives Jinkins, Stokesbary,
Abbarno, Abell, Barkis, Barnard, Berg, Bergquist, Bernbaum, Berry, Bronoske,
Burnett, Caldier, Callan, Chase, Connors, Corry, Cortes, Couture, Davis, Dent,
Doglio, Donaghy, Duerr, Dufault, Dye, Engell, Entenman, Eslick, Farivar, Fey,
Fitzgibbon, Fosse, Goodman, Graham, Gregerson, Griffey, Hackney, Hill, Hunt,
Jacobsen, Keaton, Klicker, Kloba, Leavitt, Lekanoff, Ley, Low, Macri, Manjarrez,
Marshall, McClintock, McEntire, Mena, Mendoza, Morgan, Nance, Obras, Orcutt,
Ormsby, Ortiz-Self, Parshley, Paul, Penner, Peterson, Pollet, Ramel, Reed, Reeves,
Richards, Rude, Rule, Ryu, Salahuddin, Santos, Schmick, Schmidt, Scott, Shavers,
Simmons, Springer, Stearns, Steele, Stonier, Street, Stuebe, Taylor, Thai,
Tharinger, Thomas, Timmons, Volz, Walen, Walsh, Waters, Wylie, Ybarra, and Zahn
p. 1 HR 4619
WHEREAS, More than 12,000 volunteers responded to questions about 1
their loyalty and patriotism by amassing a battle record unparalleled 2
in United States military history, earning a collective seven 3
Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished 4
Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, 588 Silver Stars, 5
more than 4,000 Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 145 6
Soldier's Medals, 9,486 Purple Hearts, 16 decorations from France and 7
Italy, and, in 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal; and8
WHEREAS, Equally loyal and patriotic Japanese-Americans fought to 9
protect our constitutional rights and liberties through dissent, like 10
University of Washington student and Auburn native Gordon Hirabayashi 11
who was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for defying the military 12
curfew on select civilians and refusing to evacuate when ordered; and13
WHEREAS, In 1982, the Congressional commission on wartime 14
relocation and internment of civilians found "no military or security 15
reason" for the incarceration of persons of Japanese ancestry, but 16
determined the cause as "racial prejudice, war hysteria, and a 17
failure of political leadership"; and 18
WHEREAS, Through this travesty of justice, Japanese-Americans 19
suffered immense economic loss of property and assets; experienced 20
immeasurable physical and psychological harm as individuals and 21
collectively as a community; and were deprived of their 22
constitutional liberties without due process of law; and23
WHEREAS, In 1979, Washington State Congressman Mike Lowry 24
introduced H.R. 5977 to provide reparations and an apology to the 25
Japanese-American incarcerees, thus initiating a 10-year legislative 26
quest that ended when President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil 27
Liberties Act of 1988; and 28
WHEREAS, With this historical lived experience, the Japanese-29
American community has become an authentic and powerful voice for 30
equity and justice and against racism, bigotry, and hate through the 31
message Nidoto Nai Yoni – Let it Not Happen Again;32
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House 33
of Representatives pause to acknowledge the 83rd anniversary of the 34
signing of Executive Order 9066; to recognize and remember Japanese-35
American veterans, incarcerees, and civil rights activists from the 36
State of Washington; and to reflect upon the responsibilities of the 37
phrase, "...with liberty and justice for all"; and38
p. 2 HR 4619
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 1
immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of 2
Representatives to the Nisei Veterans Committee, Densho, the 3
Japanese-American Citizens League, the Japanese Cultural and 4
Community Center of Washington State, and the Wing Luke Museum of the 5
Asian Pacific American Experience. 6
7
I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of8
Resolution 4619 adopted by the House of Representatives9
February 19, 2025 10
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__________________________ 15
Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk 16
p. 3 HR 4619