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 following 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 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. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

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

4 Board on Geographic Names established by the Act 

5 entitled ‘‘An Act to provide a central authority for 

6 standardizing geographic names for the purpose of 

7 eliminating duplication in standardizing such names 

8 among the Federal departments, and for other pur9 poses’’, approved July 25, 1947. 

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

11 means the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in 

12 Place Names established by section 4(a). 

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

14 land unit’’ includes National Forests System lands, 

15 units of the National Park System, units of the Na16 tional Wilderness Preservation System, National 

17 Conservation Lands, and units of the National Wild18 life Refuge System. 

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

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

21 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

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

23 (5) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

24 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 

25 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu26 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 


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1 (6) OFFENSIVE PLACE NAME.—The term ‘‘of2 fensive place name’’ means a domestic geographic 

3 place name or Federal land unit that— 

4 (A) recognizes an individual who— 

5 (i) held racially repugnant views, com6 mitted atrocities against Native Americans, 

7 or supported or effectuated discriminatory 

8 policies; or 

9 (ii) carried out other injustices 

10 against racial minorities; 

11 (B) contains a racial or sexual slur; 

12 (C) perpetuates racial, ethnic, or gender13 based stereotypes; or 

14 (D) is derogatory or otherwise offensive. 

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

16 the Secretary of the Interior. 

17 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

18 Congress finds that— 

19 (1) the United States contains geographic fea20 tures named— 

21 (A) with derogatory terms that include ra22 cial and sexual slurs and stereotypes targeting 

23 Native Americans, African Americans, and oth24 ers; 


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1 (B) in honor of individuals who held ra2 cially repugnant views, committed atrocities 

3 against Native Americans, or supported or ef4 fectuated discriminatory policies; and 

5 (C) to recognize individuals who carried 

6 out injustices against racial minorities; 

7 (2) place names that include racial or sexual 

8 slurs, or honor individuals who held racially repug9 nant views, committed atrocities against Native 

10 Americans, or carried out injustices against racial 

11 minorities perpetuate prejudice, disparage racial mi12 norities, and honor those who committed or sup13 ported atrocities; 

14 (3) no geographic feature in the United States 

15 should have a name which disparages racial minori16 ties, perpetuates prejudice or honors those who com17 mitted or supported atrocities against racial minori18 ties; 

19 (4) American place names should be equitable 

20 and just, honor America’s cultural diversity, and ad21 vance dignity for all Americans; 

22 (5) the Board on Geographic Names is respon23 sible for naming geographic features in the United 

24 States and Board policies authorize changing the 

25 names of geographic features determined to be ofVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8455.IH H8455

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1 fensive, and prohibit the use of terms deemed derog2 atory or offensive in geographic place names; 

3 (6) the current Board renaming process is time4 consuming, lacks transparency and public involve5 ment, and fails to address the scope and breadth of 

6 inappropriate place names; 

7 (7) the extent of inappropriate or offensive 

8 American place names requires a systematic, public 

9 process in which offensive and inappropriate place 

10 names are reviewed and replaced; and 

11 (8) such a process offers an opportunity for rec12 onciliation for the Americans who suffer from preju13 dice and racial violence and for all Americans in 

14 whose name these acts were committed. 

15 SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

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

17 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

18 establish an advisory committee to be known as the ‘‘Advi19 sory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names’’. 

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

21 advise the Board regarding renaming geographic features 

22 with offensive place names. 

23 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall include 16 

24 members to be appointed by the Secretary of whom, to 

25 the extent practicable— 


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1 (1) 4 shall be members of an Indian Tribe; 

2 (2) 1 shall represent a Tribal organization; 

3 (3) 4 shall have backgrounds in civil rights or 

4 race relations; 

5 (4) 4 shall have expertise in anthropology, cul6 tural studies, geography, or history; and 

7 (5) 3 shall represent the general public. 

8 (d) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 

9 (1) establish a process to solicit and review pro10 posals to rename geographic features and Federal 

11 land units with offensive place names; 

12 (2) solicit proposals to rename geographic fea13 tures and Federal land units with offensive place 

14 names from— 

15 (A) Indian Tribes; 

16 (B) appropriate State and local govern17 ments; and 

18 (C) members of the public; 

19 (3) provide opportunity for public comment on 

20 name change proposals; 

21 (4) make recommendations to the Board to re22 name geographic features with offensive place 

23 names, including proposed new names; and 


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1 (5) make recommendations to Congress to re2 name Federal land units with offensive place names, 

3 including proposed new names. 

4 (e) COMPENSATION.— 

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

6 shall serve without compensation. 

7 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Com8 mittee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

9 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 

10 an employee of an agency under subchapter I of 

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

12 away from the home or regular place of business of 

13 the member in the performance of the duties of the 

14 Committee. 

15 (f) STAFF.—The Secretary shall provide the Com16 mittee with any staff members and technical assistance 

17 that the Secretary, after consultation with the Committee, 

18 determines to be appropriate to enable the Commission to 

19 carry out the duties of the Committee. 

20 (g) RULES.—The Committee may adopt such rules 

21 as may be necessary. 

22 (h) APPLICABLE LAW.—The Committee shall be sub23 ject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

24 App.). 

25 (i) DURATION.— 


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1 (1) TIMELINE.—To the extent practicable, the 

2 Committee shall fulfill its duties, including the com3 pletion of the recommendations required by sub4 sections (d)(4) and (d)(5), within 5 years of the date 

5 upon which the Committee is established. 

6 (2) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall ter7 minate on the date that is 1 year from the date on 

8 which the Board has approved or rejected each Com9 mittee recommendation. 

10 SEC. 5. BOARD REVIEW. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall accept or reject 

12 a recommendation by the Committee to rename a geo13 graphic feature under section 4(d)(4) within three years 

14 of the date in which the Board receives the recommenda15 tion. 

16 (b) PROCESS.—The Board shall approve a rec17 ommendation of the Committee submitted under section 

18 4(d)(4) unless the Board determines that— 

19 (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial 

20 public interest in rejecting the recommendation; or 

21 (2) approving the recommendation would violate 

22 Federal law. 

23 (c) RENAMING.—If the Board accepts a recommenda24 tion by the Committee to rename a geographic feature, 

25 the Board shall rename the geographic feature. 


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

2 Board from considering a name change due to pending 

3 legislation shall not apply to Board action on Committee 

4 recommendations. 

Æ 


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