SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘African American Civil 
Rights Network Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to recognize— 
(A) the importance of the African Amer-
ican civil rights movement; and 
(B) the sacrifices made by the people who 
fought against discrimination and segregation; 
and 
(2) to authorize the National Park Service to 
coordinate and facilitate Federal and non-Federal 
activities to commemorate, honor, and interpret— 
(A) the history of the African American 
civil rights movement; 
(B) the significance of the civil rights 
movement as a crucial element in the evolution 
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 
2000a et seq.); and 
(C) the relevance of the African American 
civil rights movement in fostering the spirit of 
social justice and national reconciliation.
SEC. 3. U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subdivision 1 of division B of sub-
title III of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after chapter 3083 the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 3084—U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS 
NETWORK 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘308401. Definition of network. 
‘‘308402. U.S. Civil Rights Network. 
‘‘308403. Cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding. 
‘‘308404. Sunset. 
‘‘§ 308401. Definition of network 
‘‘In this chapter, the term ‘Network’ means the Afri-
can American Civil Rights Network established under sec-
tion 308402(a). 
‘‘§ 308402. U.S. Civil Rights Network 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish, 
within the Service, a program to be known as the ‘U.S. 
Civil Rights Network’. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—In carrying out the 
Network, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) review studies and reports to complement 
and not duplicate studies of the historical impor-
tance of the African American civil rights movement 
that may be underway or completed, such as the 
Civil Rights Framework Study; 
‘‘(2) produce and disseminate appropriate edu-
cational materials relating to the African American
civil rights movement, such as handbooks, maps, in-
terpretive guides, or electronic information; 
‘‘(3) enter into appropriate cooperative agree-
ments and memoranda of understanding to provide 
technical assistance under subsection (c); and 
‘‘(4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform 
symbol or device for the Network; and 
‘‘(B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol 
or device adopted under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(c) ELEMENTS.—The Network shall encompass the 
following elements: 
‘‘(1) All units and programs of the Service that 
are determined by the Secretary to relate to the Af-
rican American civil rights movement during the pe-
riod from 1939 through 1968. 
‘‘(2) With the consent of the property owner, 
other Federal, State, local, and privately owned 
properties that— 
‘‘(A) relate to the African American civil 
rights movement; 
‘‘(B) have a verifiable connection to the 
African American civil rights movement; and 
‘‘(C) are included in, or determined by the 
Secretary to be eligible for inclusion in, the Na-
tional Register of Historic Places.
‘‘(3) Other governmental and nongovernmental 
facilities and programs of an educational, research, 
or interpretive nature that are directly related to the 
African American civil rights movement. 
‘‘§ 308403. Cooperative agreements and memoranda 
of understanding 
‘‘To achieve the purposes of this chapter and to en-
sure effective coordination of the Federal and non-Federal 
elements of the Network described in section 308402(c) 
with System units and programs of the Service, the Sec-
retary may enter into cooperative agreements and memo-
randa of understanding with, and provide technical assist-
ance to the heads of other Federal agencies, States, units 
of local government, regional governmental bodies, and 
private entities. 
‘‘§ 308404. Sunset 
‘‘This program shall expire on the date that is 7 years 
after the date of enactment of this chapter.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 
for title 54, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to chapter 3083 the following: 
‘‘3084 U.S. Civil Rights Network ............................................................308401’’. 
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
requirements of this Act and the amendments made by
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using 
amounts otherwise authorized. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 26, 2017. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1927 
AN ACT 
To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish 
within the National Park Service the African 
American Civil Rights Network, and for other 
purposes.