Reconciliation in Place Names Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8455 To create a process by which the Board on Geographic Names shall review and revise offensive names of Federal land units, to create an advisory committee to recommend Federal land unit names to be reviewed by the Board, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. EVANS, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, and Ms. JAYAPAL) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To create a process by which the Board on Geographic Names shall review and revise offensive names of Federal land units, to create an advisory committee to rec- ommend Federal land unit names to be reviewed by the Board, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reconciliation in Place 4 Names Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8455 IH SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 1 In this Act: 2 (1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the 3 Board on Geographic Names established by the Act 4 entitled ‘‘An Act to provide a central authority for 5 standardizing geographic names for the purpose of 6 eliminating duplication in standardizing such names 7 among the Federal departments, and for other pur- 8 poses’’, approved July 25, 1947. 9 (2) COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Committee’’ 10 means the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in 11 Place Names established by section 4(a). 12 (3) FEDERAL LAND UNIT.—The term ‘‘Federal 13 land unit’’ includes National Forests System lands, 14 units of the National Park System, units of the Na- 15 tional Wilderness Preservation System, National 16 Conservation Lands, and units of the National Wild- 17 life Refuge System. 18 (4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 19 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 20 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 21 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 22 (5) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 23 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 24 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu- 25 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8455 IH (6) OFFENSIVE PLACE NAME.—The term ‘‘of- 1 fensive place name’’ means a domestic geographic 2 place name or Federal land unit that— 3 (A) recognizes an individual who— 4 (i) held racially repugnant views, com- 5 mitted atrocities against Native Americans, 6 or supported or effectuated discriminatory 7 policies; or 8 (ii) carried out other injustices 9 against racial minorities; 10 (B) contains a racial or sexual slur; 11 (C) perpetuates racial, ethnic, or gender- 12 based stereotypes; or 13 (D) is derogatory or otherwise offensive. 14 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 15 the Secretary of the Interior. 16 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 17 Congress finds that— 18 (1) the United States contains geographic fea- 19 tures named— 20 (A) with derogatory terms that include ra- 21 cial and sexual slurs and stereotypes targeting 22 Native Americans, African Americans, and oth- 23 ers; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8455 IH (B) in honor of individuals who held ra- 1 cially repugnant views, committed atrocities 2 against Native Americans, or supported or ef- 3 fectuated discriminatory policies; and 4 (C) to recognize individuals who carried 5 out injustices against racial minorities; 6 (2) place names that include racial or sexual 7 slurs, or honor individuals who held racially repug- 8 nant views, committed atrocities against Native 9 Americans, or carried out injustices against racial 10 minorities perpetuate prejudice, disparage racial mi- 11 norities, and honor those who committed or sup- 12 ported atrocities; 13 (3) no geographic feature in the United States 14 should have a name which disparages racial minori- 15 ties, perpetuates prejudice or honors those who com- 16 mitted or supported atrocities against racial minori- 17 ties; 18 (4) American place names should be equitable 19 and just, honor America’s cultural diversity, and ad- 20 vance dignity for all Americans; 21 (5) the Board on Geographic Names is respon- 22 sible for naming geographic features in the United 23 States and Board policies authorize changing the 24 names of geographic features determined to be of- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8455 IH fensive, and prohibit the use of terms deemed derog- 1 atory or offensive in geographic place names; 2 (6) the current Board renaming process is time- 3 consuming, lacks transparency and public involve- 4 ment, and fails to address the scope and breadth of 5 inappropriate place names; 6 (7) the extent of inappropriate or offensive 7 American place names requires a systematic, public 8 process in which offensive and inappropriate place 9 names are reviewed and replaced; and 10 (8) such a process offers an opportunity for rec- 11 onciliation for the Americans who suffer from preju- 12 dice and racial violence and for all Americans in 13 whose name these acts were committed. 14 SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 16 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 17 establish an advisory committee to be known as the ‘‘Advi- 18 sory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names’’. 19 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Committee is to 20 advise the Board regarding renaming geographic features 21 with offensive place names. 22 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall include 16 23 members to be appointed by the Secretary of whom, to 24 the extent practicable— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8455 IH (1) 4 shall be members of an Indian Tribe; 1 (2) 1 shall represent a Tribal organization; 2 (3) 4 shall have backgrounds in civil rights or 3 race relations; 4 (4) 4 shall have expertise in anthropology, cul- 5 tural studies, geography, or history; and 6 (5) 3 shall represent the general public. 7 (d) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 8 (1) establish a process to solicit and review pro- 9 posals to rename geographic features and Federal 10 land units with offensive place names; 11 (2) solicit proposals to rename geographic fea- 12 tures and Federal land units with offensive place 13 names from— 14 (A) Indian Tribes; 15 (B) appropriate State and local govern- 16 ments; and 17 (C) members of the public; 18 (3) provide opportunity for public comment on 19 name change proposals; 20 (4) make recommendations to the Board to re- 21 name geographic features with offensive place 22 names, including proposed new names; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 8455 IH (5) make recommendations to Congress to re- 1 name Federal land units with offensive place names, 2 including proposed new names. 3 (e) COMPENSATION.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the Committee 5 shall serve without compensation. 6 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Com- 7 mittee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 8 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 9 an employee of an agency under subchapter I of 10 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 11 away from the home or regular place of business of 12 the member in the performance of the duties of the 13 Committee. 14 (f) STAFF.—The Secretary shall provide the Com- 15 mittee with any staff members and technical assistance 16 that the Secretary, after consultation with the Committee, 17 determines to be appropriate to enable the Commission to 18 carry out the duties of the Committee. 19 (g) RULES.—The Committee may adopt such rules 20 as may be necessary. 21 (h) APPLICABLE LAW.—The Committee shall be sub- 22 ject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 23 App.). 24 (i) DURATION.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 8455 IH (1) TIMELINE.—To the extent practicable, the 1 Committee shall fulfill its duties, including the com- 2 pletion of the recommendations required by sub- 3 sections (d)(4) and (d)(5), within 5 years of the date 4 upon which the Committee is established. 5 (2) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall ter- 6 minate on the date that is 1 year from the date on 7 which the Board has approved or rejected each Com- 8 mittee recommendation. 9 SEC. 5. BOARD REVIEW. 10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall accept or reject 11 a recommendation by the Committee to rename a geo- 12 graphic feature under section 4(d)(4) within three years 13 of the date in which the Board receives the recommenda- 14 tion. 15 (b) PROCESS.—The Board shall approve a rec- 16 ommendation of the Committee submitted under section 17 4(d)(4) unless the Board determines that— 18 (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial 19 public interest in rejecting the recommendation; or 20 (2) approving the recommendation would violate 21 Federal law. 22 (c) RENAMING.—If the Board accepts a recommenda- 23 tion by the Committee to rename a geographic feature, 24 the Board shall rename the geographic feature. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 8455 IH (d) EFFECT.—A Board policy that prevents the 1 Board from considering a name change due to pending 2 legislation shall not apply to Board action on Committee 3 recommendations. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS