Civil Rights Legacy Protection Act
Bill: H.R.1110 | Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve (D-TN)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Civil Rights Legacy Protection Act
This bill makes it a crime to deface, damage, or destroy certain memorials that commemorate civil rights events or figures.
An individual convicted under this act must pay restitution and is subject to additional penalties that vary based on the cost of the defacement, damage, or destruction.

To prohibit the destruction of civil rights memorials, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Civil Rights Legacy Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON DESTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PROPERTY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1370. Prohibiting destruction of civil rights memorials
    ``(a) Destruction of Property.--Whoever, in a circumstance 
described in subsection (b), intentionally defaces, damages, or 
destroys a protected memorial under subsection (c) or any structure, 
plaque, statue, or monument on public property that commemorates a 
covered civil rights event or a covered civil rights figure shall--
            ``(1) in the case that such defacement, damage, or 
        destruction is in an amount that is equal to or less than 
        $5,000, be required to complete up to 300 hours of community 
        service, fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than a 
        year; or
            ``(2) in the case that such defacement, damage, or 
        destruction is in an amount that is more than $5,000, be fined 
        under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years.
    ``(b) Circumstances.--A circumstance described in this subsection 
is that--
            ``(1) in committing the offense described in subsection 
        (a), the defendant travels or causes another to travel in 
        interstate or foreign commerce, or uses the mail or an 
        instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce; or
            ``(2) the structure, plaque, statue, or monument described 
        in subsection (a) is located on property owned by, or under the 
        jurisdiction of, the Federal Government.
    ``(c) Protected Memorials.--The following are protected memorials:
            ``(1) Emmett Till Memorial, Mississippi.
            ``(2) Mississippi Freedom Trail Markers, Mississippi.
            ``(3) Edmund Pettus Bridge, Alabama.
            ``(4) Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Alabama.
            ``(5) Civil Rights Memorial Center, Memorial to Peace & 
        Justice, Alabama.
            ``(6) Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, Virginia.
            ``(7) Landmark for Peace Memorial in Dr. Martin Luther King 
        Jr. Park, Indiana.
            ``(8) Harriet Ross Tubman Memorial, Massachusetts.
            ``(9) National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, 
        Tennessee.
            ``(10) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument, Colorado.
            ``(11) Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National 
        Monument, Maryland.
            ``(12) African American Civil War Memorial, Washington, DC.
            ``(13) Freedom Riders National Monument, Alabama.
            ``(14) African Burial Ground National Monument, New York.
            ``(15) Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, 
        Ohio.
            ``(16) Reconstruction Era National Park, South Carolina.
            ``(17) George Washington Carver National Monument, 
        Missouri.
            ``(18) Medgar and Myrlie Evers National Monument, 
        Mississippi.
            ``(19) Markers on the Civil Rights Trail.
    ``(d) Restitution.--Whoever is convicted of an offense under this 
section shall be ordered to pay restitution.
    ``(e) Covered Events and Figures.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `covered civil rights figure' means any 
        figure on the list submitted by the United States Commission on 
        Civil Rights pursuant to section 3(a) of the Civil Rights 
        Legacy Protection Act; and
            ``(2) the term `covered civil rights event' means any event 
        on the list submitted by the United States Commission on Civil 
        Rights pursuant to section 3(a) of the Civil Rights Legacy 
        Protection Act.''.
    (b) Table of Sections.--The table of sections for chapter 65 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following item:

``1370. Prohibiting destruction of civil rights memorials.''.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the United States Commission on Civil Rights shall develop 
and submit to the Attorney General a list of covered civil rights 
events and covered civil rights figures as follows:
            (1) Covered civil rights event.--For purposes of developing 
        a list of covered civil rights events, the United States 
        Commission on Civil Rights shall include on the list any event 
        that--
                    (A) memorializes the struggle to secure equal 
                rights for groups suffering from discrimination on the 
                basis of race, religion, disability, gender identity, 
                or sexual orientation during the Civil Rights Movement 
                and other social movements; and
                    (B) left a positive impression on a unit of local 
                government, a State, or the United States.
            (2) Covered civil rights figure.--For purposes of 
        developing a list of covered civil rights figures, the United 
        States Commission on Civil Rights shall include on the list any 
        person who--
                    (A) is known for dedication and advocacy toward 
                expanding personal civil liberties and ending racial 
                and other forms of discrimination, disenfranchisement, 
                and segregation; or
                    (B)(i) worked to secure equal rights for groups 
                suffering from discrimination on the basis of race, 
                religion, disability, gender identity, or sexual 
                orientation during the Civil Rights Movement and other 
                social movements; and
                    (ii) has left a positive impression and legacy on a 
                unit of local government, a State, or the United 
                States.
    (b) Modifications to List.--The United States Commission on Civil 
Rights shall review annually and modify as necessary the list submitted 
by the Commission pursuant to (a).
    (c) Publishing List.--The Attorney General shall ensure that the 
list submitted by the United States Commission on Civil Rights pursuant 
to subsection (a), and any modifications made by the Commission 
pursuant to subsection (b), shall be made available to the public on 
the Department of Justice website.
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