Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act

2/7/2025, 3:26 PM
Congress
119
Number
S - 40
Introduced on
2025-01-09
# Amendments
0
Sponsors
Cory A. Booker
Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

1/9/2025
Text
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Related

Committee:  
Judiciary
Member:  
Peter Welch
Member:  
Cory A. Booker
Member:  
Patty Murray
Member:  
Bernard Sanders
Member:  
Edward J. Markey
Member:  
Sheldon Whitehouse
Member:  
Christopher A. Coons
Member:  
Tammy Duckworth
Member:  
Chris Van Hollen
Member:  
Richard Blumenthal
Member:  
Jeff Merkley
Member:  
Andy Kim
Member:  
Mazie K. Hirono
Member:  
Elizabeth Warren
Member:  
Tim Kaine
Member:  
Adam B. Schiff

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act

This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

The commission must (1) compile documentary evidence of slavery in the United States; (2) study the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery; (3) analyze discriminatory laws and policies against formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants; and (4) recommend ways the United States may recognize and remedy the effects of slavery and discrimination on African Americans, including through a formal apology and compensation (i.e., reparations).

The commission consists of individuals from civil society and reparations organizations and individuals appointed by the President and congressional leadership. The commission may hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and records, and contract with other entities to conduct its work.

The commission must submit its final report within one year of its first meeting.

Bill 119 s 40, also known as the "Commission to Study and Consider Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act," aims to address the historical injustices of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies from 1619 to 1865. The bill seeks to establish a commission that will study the impact of slavery, as well as the subsequent racial and economic discrimination against African Americans, and make recommendations to Congress on potential remedies.

The commission will specifically focus on the lasting effects of slavery and discrimination on living African Americans, with the goal of proposing a national apology and reparations for these injustices. The bill acknowledges the cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery, and aims to provide a platform for understanding and addressing the ongoing legacy of these practices.

If passed, this bill would represent a significant step towards acknowledging and rectifying the historical wrongs inflicted upon African Americans in the United States. It would also provide a framework for addressing the systemic inequalities that continue to impact the African American community today.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to address the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to study and consider a national apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery, its subsequent de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.
Policy Areas
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary3/18/2025

Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act

This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

The commission must (1) compile docum...

Latest Action1/9/2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.