Reconciliation in Place Names Act

This legislation sets up a clear, public process to replace offensive names on maps and federal lands. It says no place should carry slurs or honor people who supported or carried out racist acts. The goal is to make place names fair, respectful, and reflective of our country’s diversity.

It creates a national advisory committee to guide the renaming work. The Interior Department must form the committee within 180 days. The 17-member group includes Tribal members, a Tribal organization, a Native Hawaiian organization, civil rights leaders, experts in fields like history and geography, and members of the public. The committee will invite proposals from Tribes, state and local governments, land agencies, and everyday people, allow public comments, and suggest new names. It can recommend changes for geographic features to the naming board and for federal land units to Congress, and suggest ways to improve the process .

The naming board must decide on each committee proposal within three years and should approve it unless there’s a compelling reason in the public interest or it would break federal law. If approved, the board will rename the feature. A board policy that blocks action because of pending legislation will not apply to these proposals. The committee aims to complete its work within five years and will end one year after the board finishes acting on its proposals. Members are unpaid but may be reimbursed for travel, and the Interior Department will provide staff support.

• Who is affected: Communities living near places with slurs or harmful names; Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian organizations; the general public who use maps and visit public lands .
• What changes: A public, transparent system to submit, review, and adopt new names; expert and community input; set timelines for decisions .
• When: Committee formed within 180 days; board decisions within three years per proposal; committee’s main work done within about five years, then ends after the board finishes acting on its proposals .