Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2827
AN ACT
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study of African American burial grounds, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
2
† S 2827 ES
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘African American Bur-
2
ial Grounds Study Act’’.
3
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
4
In this Act:
5
(1)
BURIAL
GROUND.—The
term
‘‘burial
6
ground’’ means any natural or prepared physical lo-
7
cation, whether originally below, on, or above the
8
surface of the earth, into which human remains are
9
deposited as a part of the death rite or ceremony of
10
a culture.
11
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
12
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
13
rector of the National Park Service.
14
SEC. 3. AFRICAN AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS STUDY.
15
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a
16
study of ways to identify, interpret, preserve, and record
17
unmarked, previously abandoned, underserved, or other
18
burial grounds relating to the historic African American
19
experience.
20
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the study under
21
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider—
22
(1) ways to engage with descendant, local, and
23
other communities historically associated with identi-
24
fied burial grounds by geography, genealogy, or cul-
25
ture;
26
3
† S 2827 ES
(2) appropriate processes to identify locations
1
of unmarked and unrecorded African American bur-
2
ial grounds with appropriate consideration for the
3
privacy and safety of the burial grounds;
4
(3) alternatives for providing in a public data-
5
base, as appropriate, the locations of, and informa-
6
tion on, recorded and unrecorded African American
7
burial grounds;
8
(4) alternatives for commemorating and inter-
9
preting African American burial grounds; and
10
(5) best practices for preserving burial ground
11
landscapes and caring for artifacts.
12
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date
13
on which funds are first made available to carry out the
14
study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to
15
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
16
Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the
17
House of Representatives a report describing—
18
(1) the findings of the study; and
19
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
20
Passed the Senate December 20, 2020.
Attest:
Secretary.
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2827
AN ACT
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to con-
duct a study of African American burial grounds,
and for other purposes.