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7 LONG TITLE
8 Committee Note:
9 The Native American Legislative Liaison Committee recommended this bill.
10 Legislative Vote: 10 voting for 0 voting against 1 absent
11 General Description:
12 This bill addresses names of places.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This bill:
15 ▸ defines terms;
16 ▸ authorizes the Division of Indian Affairs to help facilitate the application process
17 for changing location names referring to American Indian terms;
18 ▸ requires reporting; and
19 ▸ makes technical changes.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 None
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 None
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 AMENDS:
26 9-9-107, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 371
27 ENACTS:
28 9-9-112, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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30 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 Section 1. Section 9-9-107 is amended to read:
32 9-9-107. Division report.
33 The department shall include a report of the division's operations and
34 recommendations, including the division's activities under Section 9-9-112, in the annual
35 written report described in Section 9-1-208.
36 Section 2. Section 9-9-112 is enacted to read:
37 9-9-112. Geographic place names -- Role of division -- Report.
38 (1) As used in this section:
39 (a) "Location name referring to American Indians" means the name of a place in the
40 state that uses American Indian related terms, including names for places that use the term
41 "squaw."
42 (b) "Utah Committee on Geographic Names" means the committee created by
43 executive order of the governor that has a primary function to act as the state's liaison with the
44 United States Board on Geographic Names and to review geographic name changes and
45 additions in Utah.
46 (2) (a) To facilitate the United States Board on Geographic Names' application process
47 for changing a location name referring to American Indians, the division may create an
48 application template, in consultation with the Utah Committee on Geographic Names, for the
49 following to use:
50 (i) a county in which a place with a location name referring to American Indians is
51 located;
52 (ii) an Indian tribe seeking to change a name of a location name referring to American
53 Indians;
54 (iii) a local community in and around a place with a location name referring to
55 American Indians; or
56 (iv) another person identified by the division in consultation with the Utah Committee
57 on Geographic Names.
58 (b) The application template described in Subsection (2)(a) shall encourage an
59 applicant to solicit feedback from the one or more tribal governments that are connected to the
60 geographic location for which the applicant is proposing to change the location name referring
61 to American Indians.
62 (c) If the division assists a person applying to change the location name referring to
63 American Indians, the division shall direct the person to consult with any tribal government
64 that is connected to the geographic location for which the location name referring to American
65 Indians is proposed to be changed so that a tribal government has an opportunity to provide an
66 official response.
67 (d) The division may bring proposed name changes to location names referring to
68 American Indians to tribal leaders to solicit input from the Indian tribes.
69 (3) The division shall provide on the division's website resources for applicants and
70 information about proposed changes to location names referring to American Indians.
71 (4) In accordance with Section 9-9-107, the division shall annually report to the Native
72 American Legislative Liaison Committee on the division's activities under this section.