[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2309 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 623
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2309

                          [Report No. 114-348]

To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish within the National 
  Park Service the U.S. Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 2015

  Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Alexander) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

                           September 8, 2016

 Reported by Ms. Murkowski, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish within the National 
  Park Service the U.S. Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Civil Rights Network 
Act of 2015''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the African American civil rights movement 
        includes historic events, court decisions, and legislation, the 
        goals of which were--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to end segregation based on 
                race;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to end discrimination against African 
                Americans; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) to ensure that African American 
                citizens could exercise their basic constitutional 
                rights, including the right to vote;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the civil rights movement--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) helped bridge the divides of race, 
                religion, sectional differences, and 
                nationality;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) spanned State lines; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) joined the ideals of liberty and 
                freedom expressed in the Declaration of Independence, 
                the Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
                U.S.C. 2000a et seq.) to the extraordinary actions of 
                ordinary men and women working in common purpose for 
                equal rights;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the National Park Service and Organization of 
        American Historians conducted a theme study that identified and 
        interpreted sites related to the Civil Rights movement in 
        accordance with the National Park Service Studies Act of 1999 
        (as enacted in title III of Appendix C of Public Law 106-113; 
        113 Stat. 1501A-194);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) in conducting the theme study referred to in 
        paragraph (3), the National Park Service and Organization of 
        American Historians found that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) although many sites relating to the 
                African American civil rights movement have been 
                identified and recognized in existing National Park 
                System units--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) a number of sites relating to 
                        the African American civil rights movement have 
                        not been recognized;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) many sites relating to the 
                        African American civil rights movement are in 
                        imminent danger of being lost or destroyed; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) many important resource 
                        types relating to the African American civil 
                        rights movement are not adequately represented 
                        and protected;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) there are many important sites 
                relating to the African American civil rights movement 
                that have high potential for preservation and visitor 
                use in a number of States, the District of Columbia, 
                and territories of the United States;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) no single site completely reflects and 
                characterizes the African American civil rights 
                movement, since the story of, and resources associated 
                with, the African American civil rights movement 
                involve networks, regions, and territories of the 
                United States rather than individual sites; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the establishment of a variety of 
                partnerships among the Federal Government, State, and 
                units of local government, and the private sector would 
                be most appropriate for the protection, restoration, 
                and interpretation of the U.S. Civil Rights 
                Network;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the National Park Service can play a vital 
        role in facilitating the creation and sustained success of the 
        U.S. Civil Rights Network; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the story and significance of the African 
        American civil rights movement can best engage the people of 
        the United States through a national program of the National 
        Park Service that links, in a unified and flexible manner--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) historic buildings, structures, and 
                sites relating to the African American civil rights 
                movement;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) geographic areas relating to the 
                African American civil rights movement;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) interpretive centers, museums, and 
                institutions relating to the African American civil 
                rights movement; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) programs, activities, community 
                projects, exhibits, and multimedia materials relating 
                to the African American civil rights 
                movement.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) to recognize--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the importance of the African American 
                civil rights movement; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the sacrifices made by the people who 
                fought against discrimination and segregation; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) to authorize the National Park Service to 
        coordinate and facilitate Federal and non-Federal activities to 
        commemorate, honor, and interpret--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the history of the African American 
                civil rights movement;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the relevance of the African American 
                civil rights movement in fostering the spirit of social 
                justice and national reconciliation.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Subdivision 1 of Division B of subtitle 
III of title 54, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
chapter 3083 the following:</DELETED>

      <DELETED>``CHAPTER 3084--U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK</DELETED>

<DELETED>``Sec. 308401. Definition of Network</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``In this chapter, the term `Network' means the U.S. Civil 
Rights Network established under section 308402(a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 308402. U.S. Civil Rights Network</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish, within 
the Service, a program to be known as the `U.S. Civil Rights 
Network'.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Duties of Secretary.--In carrying out the Network, 
the Secretary shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) review studies and reports to complement and 
        not duplicate studies of the historical importance of the 
        African American civil rights movement that may be underway or 
        completed, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) produce and disseminate appropriate 
        educational materials relating to the African American civil 
        rights movement, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, 
        or electronic information;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) enter into appropriate cooperative 
        agreements and memoranda of understanding to provide technical 
        assistance under subsection (c); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform 
        symbol or device for the Network; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol 
        or device adopted under subparagraph (A).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c) Elements.--The Network shall encompass the following 
elements:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) All units and programs of the Service that 
        are determined by the Secretary to relate to the African 
        American civil rights movement during the period from 1939 
        through 1968.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Other Federal, State, local, and privately 
        owned properties that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) relate to the African American civil 
                rights movement;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) have a verifiable connection to the 
                African American civil rights movement; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) are included in, or determined by 
                the Secretary to be eligible for inclusion in, the 
                National Register of Historic Places.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 308403. Cooperative agreements and memoranda of 
              understanding</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``To achieve the purposes of this chapter and to ensure 
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 Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and 
memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical assistance to 
the heads of other Federal agencies, States, units of local government, 
regional governmental bodies, and private entities.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``3084. U.S. Civil Rights Network.''.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``African American Civil Rights 
Network Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to recognize--
                    (A) the importance of the African American 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. AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subdivision 1 of Division B of subtitle III of 
title 54, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 
3083 the following:

         ``CHAPTER 3084--AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK

``Sec. 308401. Definition of Network
    ``In this chapter, the term `Network' means the African American 
Civil Rights Network established under section 308402(a).
``Sec. 308402. African American Civil Rights Network
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish, within the 
Service, a program to be known as the `African American 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 importance 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 educational 
        materials relating to the African American civil rights 
        movement, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or 
        electronic information;
            ``(3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements 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 African American 
        civil rights movement during the period from 1939 through 1968.
            ``(2) 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 National 
                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.
``Sec. 308403. Cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding
    ``To achieve the purposes of this chapter and to ensure 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 Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and 
memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical assistance to 
the heads of other Federal agencies, States, units of local government, 
regional governmental bodies, and private entities.''.
    (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. African American Civil Rights Network.''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend title 54, 
        United States Code, to establish within the National Park 
        Service the African American Civil Rights Network, and for 
        other purposes.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 623

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2309

                          [Report No. 114-348]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title 54, United States Code, to establish within the National 
  Park Service the U.S. Civil Rights Network, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 8, 2016

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title