[115th Congress Public Law 104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                  AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK

                               ACT OF 2017

[[Page 131 STAT. 2260]]

Public Law 115-104
115th Congress

                                 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. <<NOTE: Jan. 8, 2018 -  [H.R. 1927]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: African American 
Civil Rights Network Act of 2017. 54 USC 100101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``African American Civil Rights Network 
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 54 USC 308401 note.>>  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. U.S. 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 <<NOTE: 54 USC 308401 prec.>>  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.

``Sec. 308401. <<NOTE: 54 USC 308401.>>  Definition of network

    ``In this chapter, the term `Network' means the African American 
Civil Rights Network established under section 308402(a).

[[Page 131 STAT. 2261]]

``Sec. 308402. <<NOTE: 54 USC 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) <<NOTE: Review.>>  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) <<NOTE: Contracts.>>  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) <<NOTE: Regulations.>>  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) 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) <<NOTE: Historic preservation.>>  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. <<NOTE: 54 USC 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.
``Sec. 308404. <<NOTE: 54 USC 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, <<NOTE: 54 USC 100101 prec.>>  is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to chapter 3083 the following:

``3084 U.S. Civil Rights Network...............................308401''.

[[Page 131 STAT. 2262]]

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.

    Approved January 8, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1927:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115-241 (Comm. on Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017):
            July 26, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 21, considered and passed Senate.

                                  <all>