I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4454 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2021 
Mr. GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SOTO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS 
of Illinois, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GRIJALVA, 
Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CARSON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. 
BUSH, Ms. BASS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. LIEU, Mr. POCAN, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. 
WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. KAHELE, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, and Mr. ESPAILLAT) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reconciliation in Place 
Names Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States contains geographic fea-
tures named— 
(A) with derogatory terms that include ra-
cial and sexual slurs and stereotypes targeting 
Native Americans, African Americans, and oth-
ers; 
(B) in honor of individuals who— 
(i) held racially repugnant views; 
(ii) committed atrocities against Na-
tive Americans; or 
(iii) supported or effectuated discrimi-
natory policies; and 
(C) to recognize individuals who carried 
out injustices against racial minorities; 
(2) place names that include racial or sexual 
slurs, or honor individuals who held racially repug-
nant views, committed atrocities against Native 
Americans, or carried out injustices against racial 
minorities— 
(A) perpetuate prejudice; 
(B) disparage racial minorities; and 
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(C) honor individuals who committed or 
supported atrocities; 
(3) no geographic feature in the United States 
should have a name that— 
(A) perpetuates prejudice; 
(B) disparages racial minorities; or 
(C) honors individuals who committed or 
supported atrocities against racial minorities; 
(4) place names in the United States should— 
(A) be equitable and just; 
(B) honor the cultural diversity of the 
United States; and 
(C) advance dignity for all people in the 
United States; 
(5) the Board on Geographic Names is respon-
sible for naming geographic features in the United 
States; 
(6) the policies of the Board on Geographic 
Names— 
(A) authorize changing the names of geo-
graphic features determined to be offensive; and 
(B) prohibit the use of terms considered to 
be derogatory or offensive in geographic place 
names; 
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(7) the renaming process of the Board on Geo-
graphic Names— 
(A) is time consuming; 
(B) lacks transparency and public involve-
ment; and 
(C) fails to address the scope and breadth 
of inappropriate place names; 
(8) the extent of inappropriate or offensive 
place names in the United States requires a system-
atic, public process in which offensive and inappro-
priate place names are reviewed and replaced; and 
(9) the process described in paragraph (8) of-
fers an opportunity for reconciliation for— 
(A) people of the United States who suffer 
from prejudice and racial violence; and 
(B) all people of the United States in 
whose name the acts were committed. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the 
Board on Geographic Names established by section 
2 of the Act of July 25, 1947 (43 U.S.C. 364a). 
(2) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in 
Place Names established by section 4(a). 
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(3) FEDERAL LAND UNIT.—The term ‘‘Federal 
land unit’’ includes— 
(A) National Forest System land; 
(B) a unit of the National Park System; 
(C) a component of the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System; 
(D) any part of the National Landscape 
Conservation System; and 
(E) a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System. 
(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(5) OFFENSIVE PLACE NAME.—The term ‘‘of-
fensive place name’’ means a domestic geographic 
place name or Federal land unit that— 
(A) recognizes an individual who— 
(i)(I) held racially repugnant views; 
(II) committed atrocities against Na-
tive Americans; or 
(III) supported or effectuated dis-
criminatory policies; or 
(ii) 
carried 
out 
other 
injustices 
against racial minorities; 
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