African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2015

Summary: African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish within the National Park Service (NPS) a U.S. Civil Rights Network that encompasses: (1) all NPS units and programs that relate to the African American civil rights movement during the period from 1939 through 1968; (2) other federal, state, local, and privately owned properties that relate to the African American civil rights movement and that are included in, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature that are directly related to such movement.  In carrying out the Network, Interior must: (1) review civil rights movement studies and reports that may already be underway or completed, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study; (2) produce and disseminate educational materials, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or electronic information; (3) provide technical assistance; and (4) adopt an official, uniform symbol or device for the Network and issue regulations for the symbol's use.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``African American Civil Rights 
Network Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the African American civil rights movement includes 
        historic events, court decisions, and legislation, the goals of 
        which were--
                    (A) to end segregation based upon race;
                    (B) to end discrimination against African 
                Americans; and
                    (C) to ensure that African American citizens could 
                exercise their basic constitutional rights, including 
                the right to vote;
            (2) the civil rights movement--
                    (A) helped bridge the divides of race, religion, 
                sectional differences, and nationality;
                    (B) spanned State lines; and
                    (C) joined the ideals of liberty and freedom 
                expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the 
                Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
                U.S.C. 2000a et seq.) to the extraordinary actions of 
                ordinary men and women working in common purpose for 
                equal rights;
            (3) the National Park Service and Organization of American 
        Historians conducted a theme study that identified and 
        interpreted sites related to the Civil Rights movement (Public 
        Law 106-113, Appendix C, ``The National Park System New Area of 
        Study Act of 2000'' [s. 1349]);
            (4) in conducting the theme study referred to in paragraph 
        (3), the National Park Service and the Organization of American 
        Historians found that--
                    (A) although many sites relating to the African 
                American civil rights movement have been identified and 
                recognized in existing National Park System units--
                            (i) a number of sites relating to the 
                        African American civil rights movement have not 
                        been recognized;
                            (ii) many sites relating to the African 
                        American civil rights movement are in imminent 
                        danger of being lost or destroyed; and
                            (iii) many important resource types 
                        relating to the African American civil rights 
                        movement are not adequately represented and 
                        protected;
                    (B) there are many important sites relating to the 
                African American civil rights movement that have high 
                potential for preservation and visitor use in a number 
                of States, the District of Columbia, and territories of 
                the United States;
                    (C) no single site completely reflects and 
                characterizes the African American civil rights 
                movement, since the story of, and resources associated 
                with, the African American civil rights movement 
                involve networks, regions, and territories of the 
                United States rather than individual sites; and
                    (D) the establishment of a variety of partnerships 
                among the Federal Government, State, and units of local 
                government, and the private sector would be most 
                appropriate for the protection, restoration, and 
                interpretation of the African American Civil Rights 
                Network;
            (5) the National Park Service can play a vital role in 
        facilitating the creation and sustained success of the African 
        American Civil Rights Network; and
            (6) the story and significance of the African American 
        civil rights movement can best engage the people of the United 
        States through a national program of the National Park Service 
        that links, in a unified and flexible manner--
                    (A) historic buildings, structures, and sites 
                relating to the African American civil rights movement;
                    (B) geographic areas relating to the African 
                American civil rights movement;
                    (C) interpretive centers, museums, and institutions 
                relating to the African American civil rights movement; 
                and
                    (D) programs, activities, community projects, 
                exhibits, and multimedia materials relating to the 
                African American civil rights movement.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to recognize--
                    (A) the importance of the African American civil 
                rights movement; and
                    (B) the sacrifices made by the people who fought 
                against discrimination and segregation; and
            (2) to authorize the National Park Service to coordinate 
        and facilitate Federal and non-Federal activities to 
        commemorate, honor, and interpret--
                    (A) the history of the African American civil 
                rights movement;
                    (B) the significance of the civil rights movement 
                as a crucial element in the evolution of the Civil 
                Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.); and
                    (C) the relevance of the African American civil 
                rights movement in fostering the spirit of social 
                justice and national reconciliation.

SEC. 3. U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subdivision 1 of Division B of subtitle III of 
title 54, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 
3083 the following:

               ``CHAPTER 3084--U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK

``Sec. 308401. Definition of network
    ``In this chapter, the term `Network' means the African American 
Civil Rights Network established under section 308402(a).
``Sec. 308402. U.S. Civil Rights Network
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish, within the 
Service, a program to be known as the `U.S. Civil Rights Network'.
    ``(b) Duties of Secretary.--In carrying out the Network, the 
Secretary shall--
            ``(1) review studies and reports to complement and not 
        duplicate studies of the historical importance of the African 
        American civil rights movement that may be underway or 
        completed, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study;
            ``(2) produce and disseminate appropriate educational 
        materials relating to the African American civil rights 
        movement, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or 
        electronic information;
            ``(3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and 
        memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance 
        under subsection (c); and
            ``(4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or 
        device for the Network; and
            ``(B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device 
        adopted under subparagraph (A).
    ``(c) Elements.--The Network shall encompass the following 
elements:
            ``(1) All units and programs of the Service that are 
        determined by the Secretary to relate to the African American 
        civil rights movement during the period from 1939 through 1968.
            ``(2) Other Federal, State, local, and privately owned 
        properties that--
                    ``(A) relate to the African American civil rights 
                movement;
                    ``(B) have a verifiable connection to the African 
                American civil rights movement; and
                    ``(C) are included in, or determined by the 
                Secretary to be eligible for inclusion in, the National 
                Register of Historic Places.
            ``(3) Other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and 
        programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature 
        that are directly related to the African American civil rights 
        movement.
``Sec. 308403. Cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding
    ``To achieve the purposes of this chapter and to ensure effective 
coordination of the Federal and non-Federal elements of the Network 
described in section 308402(c) with System units and programs of the 
Service, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and 
memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical assistance to 
the heads of other Federal agencies, States, units of local government, 
regional governmental bodies, and private entities.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of chapters for title 54, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 
3083 the following:

``3084. U.S. Civil Rights Network.''.