I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8095 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 

provide funds for the removal of Confederate symbols, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 22, 2020 

Mr. RUSH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant 

program to provide funds for the removal of Confederate 

symbols, 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 ‘‘Rejecting and Elimi5 nating the Foul Use of Symbols Exulting Confederate 

6 Principles Act’’ or the ‘‘REFUSE Confederate Principles 

7 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EMANCIPATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRO2 GRAM. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary, 

4 in consultation with the Director, shall establish, within 

5 the National Park Service, a program to be known as the 

6 ‘‘Emancipation Historic Preservation Program’’ to— 

7 (1) award grants to eligible entities in accord8 ance with this section to— 

9 (A) remove a Confederate symbol; 

10 (B) remove and replace a Confederate 

11 symbol with an alternative monument, memo12 rial, statue, commemorative structure, symbol, 

13 or signage; 

14 (C) remove and replace a Confederate sym15 bol with an alternative monument, memorial, 

16 statue, commemorative structure, symbol, or 

17 signage to commemorate or depict the freedom 

18 of enslaved African Americans; and 

19 (D) remove and transfer a Confederate 

20 symbol to a State historic preservation program 

21 as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 

22 Federal Regulations; and 

23 (2) provide technical assistance to eligible enti24 ties related to the activities described in paragraph 

25 (1). 


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1 (b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec2 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that 

3 include activities described in subsection (a)(1)(C) and 

4 (a)(1)(D). 

5 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

6 under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 

7 Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 

8 and containing such information as the Secretary may re9 quire, including— 

10 (1) a plan for how the eligible entity will use 

11 grant funds to carry out one or more of the activi12 ties described in subsection (a)(1); 

13 (2) if the application is for activities described 

14 in subsection (a)(1)(C), information demonstrating 

15 the relevance of the eligible entity’s application to 

16 activities described in subsection (a)(1)(C); and 

17 (3) if the application is for activities described 

18 in subsection (a)(1)(D), information identifying the 

19 eligible entity as a State historic preservation pro20 gram as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 

21 Federal Regulations for activities described in sub22 section (a)(1)(D). 

23 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

24 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide 

25 grants under this section, $15,000,000 for each fiscal year 


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1 through 2030, of which $9,000,000 for each fiscal year 

2 shall be made available to State historic preservation pro3 grams as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of Fed4 eral Regulations, for costs related to the removal, transfer, 

5 and storage of Confederate symbols under subsection 

6 (a)(1)(D). 

7 SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS. 

8 None of the funds made available by this Act may 

9 be used by the Secretary, the Director, or an eligible entity 

10 for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, recon11 struction, or new construction of a Confederate symbol. 

12 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

13 (a) GRANTEE REPORTS TO SECRETARY AND DIREC14 TOR.—Not later than 90 days after the earlier of the date 

15 of expiration of a project period or the completion of a 

16 project, each entity that receives a grant under this Act 

17 shall submit to the Secretary and the Director a final re18 port containing such information as the Secretary may re19 quire. 

20 (b) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 

21 October 31 of each calendar year after the enactment of 

22 this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 

23 of the progress of the grant program established pursuant 

24 to this Act. 


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1 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) CONFEDERATE SYMBOL.—The term ‘‘Con4 federate symbol’’ includes— 

5 (A) a Confederate flag; or 

6 (B) a monument, memorial, statue, com7 memorative structure, symbol, or signage that 

8 honors a Confederate leader, Confederate sol9 dier, the Confederate States of America, or the 

10 Confederacy in general. 

11 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

12 the Director of the National Park Service. 

13 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti14 ty’’ means— 

15 (A) a State; 

16 (B) a political subdivision of a State, in17 cluding— 

18 (i) a city; and 

19 (ii) a county; 

20 (C) a territory or insular possession of the 

21 United States; 

22 (D) the District of Columbia; 

23 (E) an Indian Tribe (which has the mean24 ing given the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in section 4 

25 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 

26 Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); 


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1 (F) a special purpose district, including 

2 park districts; 

3 (G) an academic institution; or 

4 (H) a State historic preservation program, 

5 as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 

6 Federal Regulations. 

7 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

8 the Secretary of the Interior. 

Æ 


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