Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3921 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3115 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3921
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Brandy Fluker Oakley
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to cure us of the liabilities that ultimately restricted equity.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Brandy Fluker Oakley12th Suffolk1/20/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3115 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3921
18	18	By Representative Fluker Oakley of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3921)
19	19	of Brandy Fluker Oakley relative to establishing a commission to study and develop proposals
20	20	for lineage-based reparations programs in the Commonwealth. The Judiciary.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act to cure us of the liabilities that ultimately restricted equity.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. There shall be a commission to study and develop proposals for lineage-
30	30	2based reparations programs in the commonwealth through a truth and reconciliation process to
31	31	3redress the harm resulting from the institution of slavery in the commonwealth, de jure and de
32	32	4facto institutional and systemic racism against enslaved people and their descendants, and the
33	33	5lasting effects of slavery and institutional and systemic racism in the commonwealth. Members
34	34	6shall be considered special state employees for purposes of chapter 268A. The commission shall
35	35	7develop harm reports based on the effects on American Freedmen and their descendants in the
36	36	8commonwealth of harms including enslavement, racial terror, political disenfranchisement,
37	37	9housing segregation, separate and unequal education, racism in environment and infrastructure,
38	38	10pathologizing of Black families, control over creative cultural and intellectual life, stolen labor
39	39	11and hindered opportunity, an unjust legal system, mental and physical harm and neglect and the
40	40	12racial wealth gap from 1619 to present. In developing its proposals, the commission shall consult 2 of 3
41	41	13with the permanent commission on the status of African Americans, established in section 72 of
42	42	14chapter 3 of the General Laws.
43	43	15 SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of 15 members: 11 members appointed by the
44	44	16governor, 1 of whom shall have expertise in transitional and reparatory justice, 1 of whom shall
45	45	17have expertise in genealogy, 2 of whom shall have expertise in the history of American slavery
46	46	18and anti-Black institutional discrimination and systemic racism, 2 of whom shall be members of
47	47	19civil rights or reparatory justice organizations, 1 of whom shall have expertise in forensic
48	48	20accounting, 1 of whom shall have expertise in public education, 2 of whom shall be young adults
49	49	21between the ages of 18 and 25 who have demonstrated a commitment to reparations advocacy
50	50	22and 1 of whom shall have expertise in constitutional law; 2 members appointed by the president
51	51	23of the senate; and 2 members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The
52	52	24appointing authorities shall create a public application process that includes a written application,
53	53	25an interview and thorough vetting. The appointing authorities shall, to the extent possible,
54	54	26appoint members to the commission who have a verified familial connection to an American
55	55	27Freedman. The commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from among its members.
56	56	28 SECTION 3. (a) The commission shall develop: (i) proposals for a reparations program,
57	57	29including proposals for the form and amount of reparations; and (ii) a summary of data from the
58	58	30truth and reconciliation process. The commission shall consider a variety of methods, including,
59	59	31but not limited to: lump sum payments, yearly payments, victims’ assistance funds,
60	60	32homeowners’ assistance, tuition assistance, tuition refunds, mortgage refunds and tax credits.
61	61	33 (b) The commission shall develop criteria for reparations program participants and a
62	62	34method for application to the program. 3 of 3
63	63	35 (c) The commission shall make recommendations for the implementation of a reparations
64	64	36program, including recommendations regarding: (i) the timeline for the implementation of the
65	65	37program, with attention to how the program would function for present and future generations;
66	66	38(ii) draft legislation to implement a program; and (iii) resources and materials for educating the
67	67	39public on reparations and the reparations program.
68	68	40 SECTION 4. Within 2 years, the commission shall submit a report of its findings and
69	69	41recommendations, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry out such
70	70	42recommendations, to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint
71	71	43committee on racial equity, civil rights, and inclusion and the house and senate committees on
72	72	44ways and means. Within 2 years, the commission shall notify the public of its findings.