Title: Reconciliation in Place Names Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Reconciliation in Place Names Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to advise the Board on Geographic Names on renaming geographic features with offensive place names. Generally, an offensive place name is a place name or land unit that recognizes an individual who held racially repugnant views, contains a racial or sexist slur, or is derogatory or otherwise offensive.
The board shall accept or reject a recommendation by the committee to rename a geographic feature with an offensive place name within three years of the date on which it receives the recommendation.
The board shall approve a recommendation of the committee unless it determines that (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial public interest in rejecting the recommendation; or (2) approving the recommendation would violate federal law.
The board shall rename a geographic feature if the board accepts a recommendation by the committee to rename it.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8455 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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. Barragan, 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.

    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 ``Reconciliation in Place Names Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board on 
        Geographic Names established by the Act entitled ``An Act to 
        provide a central authority for standardizing geographic names 
        for the purpose of eliminating duplication in standardizing 
        such names among the Federal departments, and for other 
        purposes'', approved July 25, 1947.
            (2) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Advisory 
        Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names established by 
        section 4(a).
            (3) Federal land unit.--The term ``Federal land unit'' 
        includes National Forests System lands, units of the National 
        Park System, units of the National Wilderness Preservation 
        System, National Conservation Lands, and units 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) Tribal organization.--The term ``Tribal organization'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (6) Offensive place name.--The term ``offensive place 
        name'' means a domestic geographic place name or Federal land 
        unit that--
                    (A) recognizes an individual who--
                            (i) held racially repugnant views, 
                        committed atrocities against Native Americans, 
                        or supported or effectuated discriminatory 
                        policies; or
                            (ii) carried out other injustices against 
                        racial minorities;
                    (B) contains a racial or sexual slur;
                    (C) perpetuates racial, ethnic, or gender-based 
                stereotypes; or
                    (D) is derogatory or otherwise offensive.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States contains geographic features named--
                    (A) with derogatory terms that include racial and 
                sexual slurs and stereotypes targeting Native 
                Americans, African Americans, and others;
                    (B) in honor of individuals who held racially 
                repugnant views, committed atrocities against Native 
                Americans, or supported or effectuated discriminatory 
                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 repugnant views, committed 
        atrocities against Native Americans, or carried out injustices 
        against racial minorities perpetuate prejudice, disparage 
        racial minorities, and honor those who committed or supported 
        atrocities;
            (3) no geographic feature in the United States should have 
        a name which disparages racial minorities, perpetuates 
        prejudice or honors those who committed or supported atrocities 
        against racial minorities;
            (4) American place names should be equitable and just, 
        honor America's cultural diversity, and advance dignity for all 
        Americans;
            (5) the Board on Geographic Names is responsible for naming 
        geographic features in the United States and Board policies 
        authorize changing the names of geographic features determined 
        to be offensive, and prohibit the use of terms deemed 
        derogatory or offensive in geographic place names;
            (6) the current Board renaming process is time-consuming, 
        lacks transparency and public involvement, and fails to address 
        the scope and breadth of inappropriate place names;
            (7) the extent of inappropriate or offensive American place 
        names requires a systematic, public process in which offensive 
        and inappropriate place names are reviewed and replaced; and
            (8) such a process offers an opportunity for reconciliation 
        for the Americans who suffer from prejudice and racial violence 
        and for all Americans in whose name these acts were committed.

SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee to be known as the ``Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in 
Place Names''.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Board 
regarding renaming geographic features with offensive place names.
    (c) Membership.--The Committee shall include 16 members to be 
appointed by the Secretary of whom, to the extent practicable--
            (1) 4 shall be members of an Indian Tribe;
            (2) 1 shall represent a Tribal organization;
            (3) 4 shall have backgrounds in civil rights or race 
        relations;
            (4) 4 shall have expertise in anthropology, cultural 
        studies, geography, or history; and
            (5) 3 shall represent the general public.
    (d) Duties.--The Committee shall--
            (1) establish a process to solicit and review proposals to 
        rename geographic features and Federal land units with 
        offensive place names;
            (2) solicit proposals to rename geographic features and 
        Federal land units with offensive place names from--
                    (A) Indian Tribes;
                    (B) appropriate State and local governments; and
                    (C) members of the public;
            (3) provide opportunity for public comment on name change 
        proposals;
            (4) make recommendations to the Board to rename geographic 
        features with offensive place names, including proposed new 
        names; and
            (5) make recommendations to Congress to rename Federal land 
        units with offensive place names, including proposed new names.
    (e) Compensation.--
            (1) In general.--Members of the Committee shall serve 
        without compensation.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Members of the Committee shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from the home or regular place of business of 
        the member in the performance of the duties of the Committee.
    (f) Staff.--The Secretary shall provide the Committee with any 
staff members and technical assistance that the Secretary, after 
consultation with the Committee, determines to be appropriate to enable 
the Commission to carry out the duties of the Committee.
    (g) Rules.--The Committee may adopt such rules as may be necessary.
    (h) Applicable Law.--The Committee shall be subject to the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
    (i) Duration.--
            (1) Timeline.--To the extent practicable, the Committee 
        shall fulfill its duties, including the completion of the 
        recommendations required by subsections (d)(4) and (d)(5), 
        within 5 years of the date upon which the Committee is 
        established.
            (2) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date 
        that is 1 year from the date on which the Board has approved or 
        rejected each Committee recommendation.

SEC. 5. BOARD REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--The Board shall accept or reject a recommendation 
by the Committee to rename a geographic feature under section 4(d)(4) 
within three years of the date in which the Board receives the 
recommendation.
    (b) Process.--The Board shall approve a recommendation of the 
Committee submitted under section 4(d)(4) unless the Board determines 
that--
            (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial public 
        interest in rejecting the recommendation; or
            (2) approving the recommendation would violate Federal law.
    (c) Renaming.--If the Board accepts a recommendation by the 
Committee to rename a geographic feature, the Board shall rename the 
geographic feature.
    (d) Effect.--A Board policy that prevents the Board from 
considering a name change due to pending legislation shall not apply to 
Board action on Committee recommendations.
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