,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aagi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #ac1 #bjai,ms4 ,adams 7for herself and ,mr4 ,mc,eachin7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code1 to establish within the ,national ,park ,service the ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,from #afai until #ahfe1 millions of ,african ,americans throughout the ,united ,states were enslaved4 7#b7 ,slaveholders often controlled where and how the dead were buried1 and prohibited burials on valuable land4 ,as a result1 slave burial grounds were often confined to remote areas or marginal property4 7#c7 ,such burial grounds were rarely documented1 and they infrequently appear on historical maps4 ,a lack of accurate information is typical of ,african-,american cemeteries from before the ,civil ,war4 7#d7 ,following the end of slavery1 many ,african-,american families continued to face restrictions on where they could bury their dead4 ,across much of the ,united ,states1 local laws segregated burial sites by race4 ,african-,american burial grounds often failed to receive the type of maintenance and record-keeping that predominantly ,white burial grounds enjoyed4 7#e7 ,many ,african-,american burial grounds from both before and after the ,civil ,war are in a state of disrepair or inaccessibility due to overgrowth of vegetation1 crumbling physical structures1 and other challenges4 7#f7 ,there is no official national record or database for ,african-,american burial ground locations1 and the location of many sites is unknown4 ,as a result1 the family members and descendants of those interred are unable to visit these sites to honor and remember their ancestors4 7#g7 ,abandoned ,african-,american burial grounds are often discovered when construction projects inadvertently disturb human remains1 slowing or halting completion of those projects4 7#h7 ,the presence and location of historic ,african-,american burial grounds should be recorded1 and there should be coordinated national1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal efforts to preserve and restore these sites4 7#i7 ,african-,american burial grounds are an integral component of the heritage of the ,united ,states4 7#aj7 ,creating and maintaining a network of previously abandoned1 underserved1 and other ,african-,american burial grounds will help communities identify and record burial grounds and preserve local history while better informing development decisions and community planning4 #c4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are to authorize the ,national ,park ,service to coordinate and facilitate ,federal and non-,federal activities to identify1 interpret1 preserve1 and record unmarked1 previously abandoned1 underserved1 and other ,african-,american burial grounds4 #d4 ,u4,s4 ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network ,program 7a7 ,in general ,subdivision #a of division ,b of subtitle ,,iii of title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after chapter #cjhe the following3 #cjhf ,u4,s4 ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network #cjhfja4 ,definitions ,in this chapter3 7#a7 ,network ,the term ,network means the ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network established under section #cjhfjb7;a74 7#b7 ,burial ground7s7 ,the term burial ground means any natural or prepared physical location1 whether originally below1 on1 or above the surface of the earth1 into which as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture1 human remains are deposited4 7#c7 ,historic ,the term historic means properties that can reasonably be considered to date back at least #ej years4 #cjhfjb4 ,u4,s4 ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,national ,parks ,service1 shall establish1 within the ,service1 a program in accordance with this chapter to be known as the ,u4,s4 ,african-,american ,burial ,grounds ,network4 ,the ,network shall include burial grounds determined by the ,secretary to relate to the historic ,african-,american experience from among applications for inclusion submitted by an individual1 private or non-profit organization1 ,state1 local1 or ,tribal government1 or other entity4 7b7 ,duties of ,secretary ,in carrying out the ,network1 the ,secretary shall have the following duties3 7#a7 ,review existing and new studies and reports to inform consideration of sites for the ,network4 7#b7 ,provide technical assistance to and work in partnership with the public1 ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments1 other public entities1 educational institutions1 and private nonprofit organizations in identifying1 documenting1 preserving1 researching1 evaluating1 and interpreting ,african-,american burial grounds4 7#c7 ,engage in consultation and public engagement with descendant1 local1 and other communities historically associated with identified burial grounds by geography1 genetics1 or culture4 7#d7 ,in accordance with section #cjd1 provide technical assistance and support to ensure that the locations of unmarked and unrecorded ,african-,american burial grounds are documented4 ,the ,secretary is directed to make this information available in a public database1 except in such circumstances in which the ,secretary determines that the privacy and safety of the burial ground warrants the information being protected4 7#e7 ,develop a program to train ,states1 units of local government1 regional governmental bodies1 organizations1 educational institutions1 and private entities to carry out the purposes of this ,act4 7#f7 ,produce and disseminate appropriate educational and training materials relating to ,african-,american burial ground identification methods and best practices for caring for artifacts1 developing interpretive tours and exhibits1 preserving burial ground landscapes1 heritage tourism initiatives and sources for grants1 such as handbooks1 maps1 interpretive guides1 or electronic information4 7#g7 ,produce and disseminate appropriate educational materials about ,african-,american burial grounds through curriculum-based experiences1 lesson plans1 and primary materials4 7#h7 7,a7 ,create and adopt an official1 uniform symbol or device for the ,network2 and 7,b7 issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device adopted under subparagraph 7,a74 7c7 ,donations ,the ,secretary may accept monetary donations to further the purposes of this chapter4 7d7 ,consent of private property owner required ,burial grounds shall only be considered for addition to the ,network with-- 7#a7 the consent of the property owner2 and 7#b7 at the request of an individual1 landowner1 private or nonprofit organization1 ,state1 or local government1 or another entity4 #cjhfjc4 ,authority to make grants ,the ,secretary may make grants to public1 ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments1 other public entities1 educational institutions1 and private non-profit organizations in accordance with this section for-- 7#a7 the identification of ,african-,american burial grounds that may qualify for the ,network2 7#b7 the preservation and restoration of ,african-,american burial grounds that have been included in the ,network2 7#c7 interpretation of ,african-,american burial grounds2 and 7#d7 related research and documentation for sites that have been included in the ,network4 #cjhfjd4 ,cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding ,the ,secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding with1 and provide technical assistance to1 the heads of other ,federal agencies1 ,states1 units of local government1 ,tribal governments1 regional governmental bodies1 organizations1 educational institutions1 and private entities to achieve the purposes of this chapter and ensure effective coordination of the ,federal and non-,federal elements of the ,network described in section #cjhfjb with ,system units and programs of the ,service4 #cjhfje4 ,private property protection ,nothing in this chapter shall be construed-- 7#a7 to authorize the ,secretary to require or affect management or use of private property without the written consent of the owners of the affected private property2 or 7#b7 to prohibit the ,secretary from providing land management guidance or requirements related to private property as a condition of grants or other assistance provided to the owners of that private property under this chapter4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of chapters for title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter #cjhe the following3 #cjhf,u4,s4 ,african-,american ,burial ,ground ,network#cjhfa 4