H.R. 995 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 995 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 9, 2017Mr. Jeffries (for himself and Mr. Chabot) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to amend regulations for racial appropriateness. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the 21st Century Respect Act. 2. Amendments to regulations required (a) Secretary of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture shall amend section 1901.202 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, for purposes of— (1) replacing the reference to the term Negro or Black with Black or African American; (2) replacing the reference to the term Spanish Surname with Hispanic; and (3) replacing the reference to the term Oriental with Asian American or Pacific Islander. (b) Secretary of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior shall amend section 906.2 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, for purposes of— (1) replacing the references to the term Negro with Black or African American; (2) replacing the definition of Negro with the definition of Black or African American as a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa; (3) replacing the references to the term Oriental with Asian American or Pacific Islander; (4) replacing the references to the terms Eskimo and Aleut to Alaska Native; and (5) replacing the definition of Eskimo and Aleut to have the same meaning as the term Native has in section 3(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602(b)).