II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2400 

To establish a process for the Board on Geographic Names to 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 20, 2021 

Ms. WARREN (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. WYDEN, and Ms. SMITH) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To establish a process for the Board on Geographic Names 

to 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. 

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 ‘‘Reconciliation in Place 

5 Names Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the United States contains geographic fea4 tures named— 

5 (A) with derogatory terms that include ra6 cial and sexual slurs and stereotypes targeting 

7 Native Americans, African Americans, and oth8 ers; 

9 (B) in honor of individuals who— 

10 (i) held racially repugnant views; 

11 (ii) committed atrocities against Na12 tive Americans; or 

13 (iii) supported or effectuated discrimi14 natory policies; and 

15 (C) to recognize individuals who carried 

16 out injustices against racial minorities; 

17 (2) place names that include racial or sexual 

18 slurs, or honor individuals who held racially repug19 nant views, committed atrocities against Native 

20 Americans, or carried out injustices against racial 

21 minorities— 

22 (A) perpetuate prejudice; 

23 (B) disparage racial minorities; and 

24 (C) honor individuals who committed or 

25 supported atrocities; 


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1 (3) no geographic feature in the United States 

2 should have a name that— 

3 (A) perpetuates prejudice; 

4 (B) disparages racial minorities; or 

5 (C) honors individuals who committed or 

6 supported atrocities against racial minorities; 

7 (4) place names in the United States should— 

8 (A) be equitable and just; 

9 (B) honor the cultural diversity of the 

10 United States; and 

11 (C) advance dignity for all people in the 

12 United States; 

13 (5) the Board on Geographic Names is respon14 sible for naming geographic features in the United 

15 States; 

16 (6) the policies of the Board on Geographic 

17 Names— 

18 (A) authorize changing the names of geo19 graphic features determined to be offensive; and 

20 (B) prohibit the use of terms considered to 

21 be derogatory or offensive in geographic place 

22 names; 

23 (7) the renaming process of the Board on Geo24 graphic Names— 

25 (A) is time consuming; 


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1 (B) lacks transparency and public involve2 ment; and 

3 (C) fails to address the scope and breadth 

4 of inappropriate place names; 

5 (8) the extent of inappropriate or offensive 

6 place names in the United States requires a system7 atic, public process in which offensive and inappro8 priate place names are reviewed and replaced; and 

9 (9) the process described in paragraph (8) of10 fers an opportunity for reconciliation for— 

11 (A) people of the United States who suffer 

12 from prejudice and racial violence; and 

13 (B) all people of the United States in 

14 whose name the acts were committed. 

15 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the 

18 Board on Geographic Names established by section 

19 2 of the Act of July 25, 1947 (43 U.S.C. 364a). 

20 (2) COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Committee’’ 

21 means the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in 

22 Place Names established by section 4(a). 

23 (3) FEDERAL LAND UNIT.—The term ‘‘Federal 

24 land unit’’ includes— 

25 (A) National Forest System land; 


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1 (B) a unit of the National Park System; 

2 (C) a component of the National Wilder3 ness Preservation System; 

4 (D) any part of the National Landscape 

5 Conservation System; and 

6 (E) a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 

7 System. 

8 (4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

9 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

10 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

11 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

12 (5) OFFENSIVE PLACE NAME.—The term ‘‘of13 fensive place name’’ means a domestic geographic 

14 place name or Federal land unit that— 

15 (A) recognizes an individual who— 

16 (i)(I) held racially repugnant views; 

17 (II) committed atrocities against Na18 tive Americans; or 

19 (III) supported or effectuated dis20 criminatory policies; or 

21 (ii) carried out other injustices 

22 against racial minorities; 

23 (B) contains a racial or sexual slur; 

24 (C) perpetuates racial, ethnic, or gender25 based stereotypes; or 


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1 (D) is derogatory or otherwise offensive. 

2 (6) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

3 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 

4 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu5 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

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

7 the Secretary of the Interior. 

8 SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es11 tablish an advisory committee, to be known as the ‘‘Advi12 sory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names’’. 

13 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Committee is to 

14 advise the Board with respect to renaming geographic fea15 tures with offensive place names. 

16 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be com17 posed of 17 members, to be appointed by the Secretary, 

18 of whom, to the extent practicable— 

19 (1) 4 members shall be members of an Indian 

20 Tribe; 

21 (2) 1 member shall represent a Tribal organiza22 tion; 

23 (3) 1 member shall represent a Native Hawai24 ian organization; 


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1 (4) 4 members shall have a background in civil 

2 rights or race relations; 

3 (5) 4 members shall have expertise in— 

4 (A) anthropology; 

5 (B) cultural studies, ethnic studies, or in6 digenous studies; 

7 (C) geography; or 

8 (D) history; and 

9 (6) 3 members shall represent the general pub10 lic. 

11 (d) CONSULTATION WITH INDIAN TRIBES.—Before 

12 making an appointment under paragraph (1), (2), or (4) 

13 of subsection (c), the Secretary shall consult with Indian 

14 Tribes regarding the appointment. 

15 (e) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 

16 (1) establish a process to solicit and review pro17 posals to rename geographic features and Federal 

18 land units with offensive place names; 

19 (2) solicit proposals to rename geographic fea20 tures and Federal land units with offensive place 

21 names from— 

22 (A) Indian Tribes; 

23 (B) appropriate State and local govern24 ments; and 

25 (C) members of the public; 


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1 (3) provide an opportunity for public comment 

2 on name change proposals; 

3 (4) make recommendations to the Board to re4 name geographic features with offensive place 

5 names, including proposed new names; and 

6 (5) make recommendations to Congress to re7 name Federal land units with offensive place names, 

8 including proposed new names. 

9 (f) COMPENSATION.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the Committee 

11 shall serve without compensation. 

12 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Com13 mittee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

14 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 

15 an employee of an agency under subchapter I of 

16 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 

17 away from the home or regular place of business of 

18 the member in the performance of the duties of the 

19 Committee. 

20 (g) STAFF.—The Secretary shall provide the Com21 mittee with any staff members and technical assistance 

22 that the Secretary, after consultation with the Committee, 

23 determines to be appropriate to enable the Committee to 

24 carry out the duties of the Committee. 


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1 (h) RULES.—The Committee may adopt such rules 

2 as may be necessary. 

3 (i) APPLICABLE LAW.—The Committee shall be sub4 ject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

5 App.). 

6 (j) DURATION.— 

7 (1) TIMELINE.—To the extent practicable, not 

8 later than 5 years after the date on which the Com9 mittee is established, the Committee shall fulfill the 

10 duties of the Committee, including the completion of 

11 the recommendations required under paragraphs (4) 

12 and (5) of subsection (e). 

13 (2) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall ter14 minate on the date that is 1 year after the date on 

15 which the Board has approved or rejected each Com16 mittee recommendation submitted to the Board 

17 under subsection (e)(4). 

18 SEC. 5. BOARD REVIEW. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

20 date on which the Board receives a recommendation under 

21 section 4(e)(4), the Board shall accept or reject the rec22 ommendation. 

23 (b) PROCESS.—The Board shall approve a rec24 ommendation of the Committee submitted under section 

25 4(e)(4) unless the Board determines that— 


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1 (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial 

2 public interest in rejecting the recommendation; or 

3 (2) approving the recommendation would violate 

4 Federal law. 

5 (c) RENAMING.—If the Board accepts a recommenda6 tion by the Committee to rename a geographic feature, 

7 the Board shall rename the geographic feature. 

8 (d) EFFECT.—A Board policy that prevents the 

9 Board from considering a name change due to pending 

10 legislation shall not apply to Board action on Committee 

11 recommendations. 

Æ 


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