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H.R. 8455: Reconciliation in Place Names Act

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H.R. 8455: Reconciliation in Place Names Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-09-30 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2020-09-30 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Haaland, Debra A. [D-NM-1] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Reconciliation in Place Names Act

Plain 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 Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Reconciliation in Place Names Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Haaland, Debra A. [D-NM-1] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Al Green (D-TX), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Veronica Escobar (D-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr8455 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116