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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rejecting and Elimi-
nating the Foul Use of Symbols Exulting Confederate 
Principles Act’’ or the ‘‘REFUSE Confederate Principles 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EMANCIPATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary, 
in consultation with the Director, shall establish, within 
the National Park Service, a program to be known as the 
‘‘Emancipation Historic Preservation Program’’ to— 
(1) award grants to eligible entities in accord-
ance with this section to— 
(A) remove a Confederate symbol; 
(B) remove and replace a Confederate 
symbol with an alternative monument, memo-
rial, statue, commemorative structure, symbol, 
or signage; 
(C) remove and replace a Confederate sym-
bol with an alternative monument, memorial, 
statue, commemorative structure, symbol, or 
signage to commemorate or depict the freedom 
of enslaved African Americans; and 
(D) remove and transfer a Confederate 
symbol to a State historic preservation program 
as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations; and 
(2) provide technical assistance to eligible enti-
ties related to the activities described in paragraph 
(1). 
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(b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that 
include activities described in subsection (a)(1)(C) and 
(a)(1)(D). 
(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including— 
(1) a plan for how the eligible entity will use 
grant funds to carry out one or more of the activi-
ties described in subsection (a)(1); 
(2) if the application is for activities described 
in subsection (a)(1)(C), information demonstrating 
the relevance of the eligible entity’s application to 
activities described in subsection (a)(1)(C); and 
(3) if the application is for activities described 
in subsection (a)(1)(D), information identifying the 
eligible entity as a State historic preservation pro-
gram as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations for activities described in sub-
section (a)(1)(D). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide 
grants under this section, $15,000,000 for each fiscal year 
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through 2030, of which $9,000,000 for each fiscal year 
shall be made available to State historic preservation pro-
grams as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, for costs related to the removal, transfer, 
and storage of Confederate symbols under subsection 
(a)(1)(D). 
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS. 
None of the funds made available by this Act may 
be used by the Secretary, the Director, or an eligible entity 
for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, recon-
struction, or new construction of a Confederate symbol. 
SEC. 4. REPORTS. 
(a) GRANTEE REPORTS TO SECRETARY AND DIREC-
TOR.—Not later than 90 days after the earlier of the date 
of expiration of a project period or the completion of a 
project, each entity that receives a grant under this Act 
shall submit to the Secretary and the Director a final re-
port containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
October 31 of each calendar year after the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
of the progress of the grant program established pursuant 
to this Act. 
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SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONFEDERATE SYMBOL.—The term ‘‘Con-
federate symbol’’ includes— 
(A) a Confederate flag; or 
(B) a monument, memorial, statue, com-
memorative structure, symbol, or signage that 
honors a Confederate leader, Confederate sol-
dier, the Confederate States of America, or the 
Confederacy in general. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Park Service. 
(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a State; 
(B) a political subdivision of a State, in-
cluding— 
(i) a city; and 
(ii) a county; 
(C) a territory or insular possession of the 
United States; 
(D) the District of Columbia; 
(E) an Indian Tribe (which has the mean-
ing given the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in section 4 
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); 
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(F) a special purpose district, including 
park districts; 
(G) an academic institution; or 
(H) a State historic preservation program, 
as defined in section 60.3 of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
Æ 
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