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*sb0587*
SENATE BILL 587
P1 5lr3174
CF HB 1422
By: Senator Muse Senators Muse, Augustine, Brooks, and M. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Maryland Reparations Commission 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Reparations Commission to study and make 3
recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be offered to individuals whose 4
ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable 5
government policies; and generally relating to the Maryland Reparations 6
Commission. 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That: 9
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(2) “Commission” means the Maryland Reparations Commission. 11
(3) “Individuals impacted by historical inequality” means: 12
(i) individuals having origins in any of the Black racial groups of 13
Africa; and 14
(ii) individuals whose ancestors were: 15
1. enslaved in the State; or 16
2. impacted by inequitable government policies. 17 2 SENATE BILL 587
(4) “Inequitable government policies” means federal, State, or local 1
government policies during the periods commonly known as the post–Reconstruction era 2
and the Jim Crow era, 1877 through 1965, that have led to economic disparities based on 3
race, including housing segregation and discrimination, redlining, restrictive covenants, 4
and tax policies. 5
(b) There is a Maryland Reparations Commission. 6
(c) The Commission consists of: 7
(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, one of whom is a member of 8
the Legislative Black Caucus, appointed by the President of the Senate; 9
(2) two members of the House of Delegates, one of whom is a member of 10
the Legislative Black Caucus, appointed by the Speaker of the House; 11
(3) the Comptroller, or the Comptroller’s designee; 12
(4) the State Treasurer, or the Treasurer’s designee; 13
(5) the State Archivist, or the State Archivist’s designee; 14
(6) one member of the Maryland Center for History and Culture, 15
designated by the President of the Maryland Center for History and Culture; 16
(7) one member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 17
People, designated by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 18
Maryland State Conference President; 19
(8) two employees of historically Black colleges and universities in the 20
State who have expertise in the history of slavery, one of whom represents a private college 21
or university and one of whom represents a public college or university, designated by the 22
Maryland Legislative Black Caucus; 23
(9) a representative of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, 24
designated by the President of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce; 25
(10) a representative of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association 26
of Real Estate Brokers, designated by the Local Board President; 27
(11) a representative for the Association for the Study of African American 28
Life and History, designated by the President of the Association for the Study of African 29
American Life and History; 30
(12) a representative of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation 31
Commission, designated by the Chair of the Commission; and 32 SENATE BILL 587 3
(13) the following members appointed by the Governor: 1
(i) a mental health expert; 2
(ii) two historians, with expertise in researching the impacts of 3
enslavement and housing segregation; 4
(iii) a representative of a religious institution that serves a 5
community with a high minority population; 6
(iv) an attorney with expertise in civil rights law or constitutional 7
law; 8
(v) a representative of an African American financial institution; 9
and 10
(vi) two members of the general public. 11
(d) The Commission shall select from among its members a chair and a vice chair. 12
(e) A member of the Commission: 13
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but 14
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 15
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 16
(f) The State Archives and the public college or university represented under 17
subsection (c)(8) of this section shall jointly provide staff for the Commission. 18
(g) (1) The Commission shall: 19
(i) study and make recommendations relating to appropriate 20
benefits to be offered to individuals impacted by historical inequality; 21
(ii) on or before January 1, 2027, submit a preliminary report of its 22
findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 23
State Government Article, the General Assembly; and 24
(iii) on or before November 1, 2027, submit a final report of its 25
findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 26
State Government Article, the General Assembly. 27
(2) In conducting the study required under paragraph (1) of this 28
subsection, the Commission shall examine: 29
4 SENATE BILL 587
(i) reparations payments made and benefits offered in the United 1
States by the federal government, states, cities, religious institutions, and colleges and 2
universities; 3
(ii) types of benefits appropriate for reparations, including official 4
statements of apology, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, social service 5
assistance, licensing and permit fee waivers and reimbursement, down payment assistance 6
for the purchase of residential real property, business incentives, child care, debt 7
forgiveness, and higher education tuition payment waivers and reimbursement; 8
(iii) the history of slavery in Maryland and the number of individuals 9
whose ancestors were enslaved in the State; 10
(iv) inequitable government policies, the size of the impacted 11
populations, and how public and private institutions benefited from these policies; and 12
(v) any other topic deemed appropriate by the Commission. 13
(3) Recommendations made by the Commission under paragraph (1) of this 14
subsection shall include: 15
(i) common procedures for evaluating evidence of the lineage of 16
potential recipients; 17
(ii) information necessary to be included in any application to verify 18
lineage and receive reparations; 19
(iii) eligibility requirements for applicants, if any, including 20
appropriate methods of demonstrating eligibility; 21
(iv) a process for approving applications for benefits; 22
(v) an estimate of the costs associated with awarding any type of 23
reparations recommended by the Commission; and 24
(vi) if monetary compensation is a type of reparation recommended 25
by the Commission: 26
1. the amount of monetary compensation recommended and 27
method of calculating the amount, including, as appropriate: 28
A. the length and conditions of the enslavement of the 29
individual or individuals from whom the applicant is descended; or 30
B. the level and impact of the economic disparity suffered; 31
SENATE BILL 587 5
2. potential sources of funding, including fees paid by private 1
businesses and organizations in the State that have benefited from the institution of 2
slavery or inequitable government policies; 3
3. the feasibility of creating and administering a reparations 4
fund; and 5
4. appropriate methods for distributing the recommended 6
compensation, including the use of fiscal agents, business incubators, community 7
development corporations, credit unions, or other community institutions. 8
(h) (1) The Commission may seek the assistance of State agencies in 9
conducting the study or making recommendations under this section. 10
(2) To the extent authorized by law, State agencies shall assist the 11
Commission in a request made under this subsection. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of June 30, 2028, 14
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 15
of no further force and effect. 16
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.