I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7155 

To form the National Commission on Modernizing Military Installation 

Designations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2020 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland (for himself and Mr. BACON) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To form the National Commission on Modernizing Military 

Installation Designations, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Commission 

5 on Modernizing Military Installation Designations Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON MODERNIZING MILI7 TARY INSTALLATION DESIGNATIONS. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the 

10 executive branch an independent Commission to reVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Jun 30, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7155.IH H7155

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1 view the designations of military installations and 

2 other property of the Department of Defense. 

3 (2) TREATMENT.—The Commission shall be 

4 considered an independent Commission establish5 ment of the Federal Government as defined by sec6 tion 104 of title 5, United States Code, and a tem7 porary organization under section 3161 of such title. 

8 (3) DESIGNATION.—The Commission estab9 lished under paragraph (1) shall be known as the 

10 ‘‘National Commission on Modernizing Military In11 stallation Designations’’. 

12 (4) MEMBERSHIP.— 

13 (A) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall 

14 be composed of 11 members appointed as fol15 lows: 

16 (i) The Secretary of the Army shall 

17 appoint 1 member. 

18 (ii) The Secretary of the Air Force 

19 shall appoint 1 member. 

20 (iii) The Secretary of the Navy shall 

21 appoint 1 member. 

22 (iv) The Chairman of the Committee 

23 on Armed Services of the Senate shall ap24 point 1 member. 


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1 (v) The Ranking Member of the Com2 mittee on Armed Services of the Senate 

3 shall appoint 1 member. 

4 (vi) The Chairman of the Committee 

5 on Armed Services of the House of Rep6 resentatives shall appoint 1 member. 

7 (vii) The Ranking Member of the 

8 Committee on Armed Services of the 

9 House of Representatives shall appoint 1 

10 member. 

11 (viii) The majority leader of the Sen12 ate shall appoint 1 member. 

13 (ix) The minority leader of the Senate 

14 shall appoint 1 member. 

15 (x) The Speaker of the House of Rep16 resentatives shall appoint 1 member. 

17 (xi) The minority leader of the House 

18 of Representatives shall appoint 1 member. 

19 (B) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Mem20 bers shall be appointed to the Commission 

21 under subparagraph (A) not later than 90 days 

22 after the date on which the Commission is es23 tablished. 

24 (C) EFFECT OF LACK OF APPOINTMENT

25 BY APPOINTMENT DATE.—If one or more apVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Jun 30, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7155.IH H7155

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1 pointments under subparagraph (A) are not 

2 made by the appointment date specified in sub3 paragraph (B), or if a position described in sub4 paragraph (A) is vacant for more than 90 days, 

5 the authority to make such appointment shall 

6 transfer to the Chair of the Commission. 

7 (5) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission 

8 shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its 

9 members. 

10 (6) TERMS.—Members shall be appointed for 

11 the life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Com12 mission shall not affect its powers and shall be filled 

13 in the same manner as the original appointment was 

14 made. 

15 (7) STATUS AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Not16 withstanding the requirements of section 2105 of 

17 title 5, United States Code, including the required 

18 supervision under subsection (a)(3) of such section, 

19 the members of the Commission shall be deemed to 

20 be Federal employees. 

21 (b) DUTIES.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall carry 

23 out the review described in paragraph (2). In car24 rying out such review, the Commission shall consider 

25 the designations of covered military installations and 


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1 criteria for their redesignation that honors our de2 ceased heroes and other deceased distinguished men 

3 and women that represent the diversity of our soci4 ety. 

5 (2) SCOPE OF THE REVIEW.—In conducting the 

6 review under paragraph (1), the Commission shall 

7 consider the following: 

8 (A) The designations of military installa9 tions and other Department of Defense prop10 erty, including if such designations represent 

11 the values enshrined in the Constitution of the 

12 United States. 

13 (B) The characteristics on which the des14 ignation of a covered military installation 

15 should be based, including but not limited to— 

16 (i) serving as inspiration to the service 

17 members and citizens of the United States; 

18 (ii) honoring careers or actions that 

19 were important to, and well known in, the 

20 locality or function to be memorialized; 

21 (iii) recognizing the contributions to 

22 the service under which the installation or 

23 property is operated; 


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1 (iv) representing an allegiance to the 

2 values enshrined in the Constitution of the 

3 United States; 

4 (v) diversity in race, gender, and eth5 nicity; and 

6 (vi) honoring living persons in excep7 tional cases and where it is uniquely ap8 propriate. 

9 (C) The rules, regulations, and procedures 

10 for the designation of military installations and 

11 other Department of Defense property. 

12 (D) Any other matters the Commission 

13 deems relevant. 

14 (c) REPORTS.— 

15 (1) INITIAL REPORT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

17 days after the date of the enactment of this 

18 Act, the Commission shall submit to the Presi19 dent and Congress an initial report on the find20 ings of the Commission and such recommenda21 tions that the Commission may have for action 

22 by the executive branch and Congress related to 

23 the covered military installations. 

24 (B) ELEMENTS.—The report required 

25 under subparagraph (A) shall include— 


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1 (i) the covered military installations 

2 considered for redesignation; 

3 (ii) the criteria to be used for select4 ing a redesignation for each covered mili5 tary installation, consistent with the char6 acteristics under subsection (b)(2)(B); and 

7 (iii) any other matters the Commis8 sion considers appropriate. 

9 (2) FINAL REPORT.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 365 

11 days after the date of the enactment of this 

12 Act, the Commission shall submit to the Presi13 dent and Congress a comprehensive report on 

14 the results of the review required under sub15 section (b). 

16 (B) ELEMENTS.—The report required 

17 under subparagraph (A) shall include— 

18 (i) a redesignation for each covered 

19 military installation; 

20 (ii) the criteria used for selecting a re21 designation for each covered military in22 stallation; 

23 (iii) the rationale for the selected re24 designation for each covered military in25 stallation; 


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1 (iv) recommendations for improve2 ments to and standardization of Depart3 ment of Defense regulations and processes 

4 related to the naming of military installa5 tions and property; and 

6 (v) any other matters the Commission 

7 considers appropriate. 

8 (3) FORM OF REPORTS.—Reports submitted 

9 under this subsection shall be made publicly avail10 able. 

11 (d) REDESIGNATION.—Not later than 30 days after 

12 the submission of the recommendations under subsection 

13 (c)(2), the Secretary of Defense shall redesignate the cov14 ered military installations with such designations as deter15 mined by the Commission. 

16 (e) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula17 tion, map, document, paper, or other record of the United 

18 States to a covered military installation referred to in sub19 section (d) shall be deemed to be a reference to such in20 stallation as redesignated under such subsection. 

21 (f) TERMINATION.—Commission shall terminate not 

22 later than 30 days after submitting the final versions of 

23 reports and recommendations pursuant to subsection (c). 

24 (g) COVERED MILITARY INSTALLATION.—In this sec25 tion, the term ‘‘covered military installation’’ includes— 


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1 (1) Camp Beauregard, Louisiana; 

2 (2) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia; 

3 (3) Fort Benning, Georgia; 

4 (4) Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 

5 (5) Fort Gordon, Georgia; 

6 (6) Fort Hood, Texas; 

7 (7) Fort Lee, Virginia; 

8 (8) Fort Pickett, Virginia; 

9 (9) Fort Polk, Louisiana; 

10 (10) Fort Rucker, Alabama; 

11 (11) the USS Chancellorsville; and 

12 (12) any other military base or property as the 

13 Commission determines appropriate. 

14 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

15 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec16 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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