STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5603 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUCAS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to acknowledge New York state's role in the fundamental injustice and inhumanity of the institution of slavery; to establish the New York State American Freedmen Task Force on Reparations Remedies; to examine all aspects of slavery, subsequent de jure and de facto racial, social and economic discrimination against American Freedmen and the impact of these forces on living American Freedmen and to make determinations regarding compensation and repair; to establish a New York State Freedmen's Bureau charged with the distribution of repara- tions & reparative justice passed in legislature by the state; and making an appropriation therefor; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New York 2 State American Freedmen Task Force on Reparations Remedies Act". 3 § 2. Legislative intent. The Legislature makes the following findings 4 and declarations: 5 (a) Approximately 450,000+ Africans were trafficked and enslaved in 6 the United States and the colonies that became the United States from 7 1619 to 1865, inclusive. At the peak of slavery their descendants 8 numbered 4,000,000. 9 (b) The institution of slavery was constitutionally and statutorily 10 sanctioned by the United States from 1776 through 1865, inclusive. 11 (c) The chattel slavery that flourished in the United States consti- 12 tuted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of Africans' life, liberty, 13 citizenship rights, and cultural heritage and denied them the fruits of 14 their own labor. 15 (d) A preponderance of scholarly, legal, and community evidentiary 16 documentation, as well as popular culture markers, constitute the basis EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08244-01-5
A. 5603 2 1 for inquiry into the ongoing effects of the institution of slavery and 2 its legacy embodied in persistent systemic structures of discrimination 3 on living descendants of persons enslaved in the United States, American 4 Freedmen. 5 (e) Contrary to what many people believe, slavery was not just a 6 southern institution. Prior to the American Revolution, there were more 7 enslaved Africans in New York City than in any other city except Charle- 8 ston, South Carolina. During this period, slaves accounted for 20% of 9 the population of New York and approximately 40% of colonial New York 10 households owned slaves. In 1799 the New York State Legislature passed 11 "An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery". This legislation was a 12 first step in the direction of emancipation but did not have an immedi- 13 ate effect on or affect all enslaved people. Rather, it provided for 14 gradual manumission. All children born to enslaved women after July 4, 15 1799, would be freed, but only after their most productive years: age 28 16 for men and age 25 for women. Enslaved persons already in servitude 17 before July 4, 1799, were reclassified as "indentured servants", but in 18 reality, remained enslaved for the duration of their lives. In 1817, the 19 Legislature enacted a statute that gave freedom to New York enslaved 20 people who had been born before July 4, 1799. This statute did not 21 become effective until July 4, 1827, however, despite these laws, there 22 were exceptions under which certain persons could still own slaves; 23 non-residents could enter New York with slaves for up to nine months, 24 and part-time residents were allowed to bring their slaves into the 25 state temporarily. The nine-month exception remained law until its 26 repeal in 1841 when the North was redefining itself as the "free" region 27 in advance of the Civil War. 28 (f) Following the abolition of slavery, the United States government 29 at the federal, state, and local levels continued to perpetuate, 30 condone, and often profit from practices that maintained brutalization 31 and disadvantage for descendants of persons enslaved in the United 32 States, American Freedmen, including but not limited to Black Codes, 33 sharecropping, convict leasing, Jim Crow laws, lynching, redlining, 34 unequal education, etc. 35 (g) As a result of the badges and incidents of slavery, Jim Crow, and 36 continued targeted discriminatory policy, the descendants of persons 37 enslaved in the United States, American Freedmen, continue to suffer 38 debilitating economic, educational, and health hardships. 39 § 3. Definition. For the purposes of this act, the term American 40 Freedmen shall mean those persons who have at least one ancestor that 41 was enslaved in the United States of America, who was emancipated in 42 1863 by way of the Emancipation Proclamation or in 1865 by way of the 43 13th Amendment to the Constitution, and have been despoiled their rights 44 as citizens due to the badges, incidents and vestiges of slavery. 45 § 4. Establishment, purpose, and duties of the task force. (a) Estab- 46 lishment. There is hereby established the New York State American Freed- 47 men Task Force on Reparations Remedies, which may be referred to in this 48 act as the "task force". 49 (b) Duties. The task force shall perform the following duties: 50 (i) Study the current condition of individuals who descend from 51 persons enslaved in the United States, American Freedmen, both across 52 the nation, generally, and in the state of New York, specifically, as a 53 result of: 54 (A) The de jure and de facto discrimination against American Freedmen 55 and their descendants from the end of the Civil War to the present, 56 including economic, political, educational, and social discrimination.
A. 5603 3 1 (B) The lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery and 2 discrimination on living descendants of persons enslaved in the United 3 States, American Freedmen. 4 (C) The manner in which instructional resources and technologies are 5 being used to deny the inhumanity of slavery and the crime against 6 humanity committed against descendants of persons enslaved in the United 7 States, American Freedmen, in New York state and the United States. 8 (D) The larger role of northern complicity in the disproportionately 9 southern-based institution of slavery: 10 1. The state of New York mercantile merchants profited immensely from 11 the sale of raw cotton to European mills transported from the southern 12 states. 13 2. New York businesspeople assisted planters in purchasing the land 14 slaves worked, and the tools they used to labor. 15 3. New York's textile industry specialized in the clothes slaves wore 16 called "negro-cloth". 17 4. New York manufactured whips that overseers wielded, the books that 18 planters read, and the finery plantation mistresses prized. 19 5. New York lenders loaned money to allow planters to purchase slaves, 20 and insurance to protect their investments. 21 6. New York invested in transatlantic, international, and coastal 22 shipping lines that shipped between southern ports and New York. 23 (E) The direct benefits of slavery and discrimination to societal 24 institutions, public and private, including higher education, corporate, 25 religious, and associational. 26 (ii) Develop reparations remedies from which New York ratified the 27 U.S. Constitution and entered the Union as the eleventh State in 1788. 28 (iii) Recommend appropriate ways to educate the New York and American 29 public of the task force's findings. 30 (iv) Recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the task 31 force's findings on the matters described in this section, including, 32 but not limited to: 33 (A) Determine how the state of New York will offer a formal apology on 34 behalf of the people of New York for the perpetration of gross human 35 rights violations and crimes against humanity on individuals who descend 36 from persons enslaved in the United States. 37 (B) Document the injuries resulting from matters described in this 38 subdivision can be reversed and how to provide appropriate policies, 39 programs, projects, and recommendations for the purpose of reversal of 40 the injuries. 41 (C) Propose the form and scope that measures should be taken from the 42 task force's findings in consideration of the task force's findings, any 43 other forms of recompense to descendants of persons enslaved in the 44 United States, American Freedmen are warranted and what form and scope 45 those measures should take. 46 (D) Draft a resolution on how the state of New York can advocate the 47 adoption of a national plan for reparations for descendants of persons 48 enslaved in the United States. 49 (v) Submit a preliminary report of its findings to the legislature no 50 later than sixteen months after the date of the first meeting of the 51 task force. The final report of its recommendations shall be submitted 52 to the legislature no later than fourteen months after the preliminary 53 report is submitted. 54 (vi) Designate individuals who are American Freedmen as the population 55 that will be the focus and sole beneficiaries of the task force's analy- 56 sis.
A. 5603 4 1 (vii) Ensure that reparations proposals adhere to the five forms of 2 reparations as defined by international law: (A) compensation; (B) reha- 3 bilitation; (C) restitution; (D) satisfaction; and (E) guarantees of 4 non-repetition. 5 § 5. Membership of the task force. (a) Appointment of members. (i) The 6 task force shall be composed of eleven members who shall be appointed 7 within ninety days after the effective date of this act, as follows: 8 (A) Five members shall be appointed by the governor; and 9 (B) Three members each shall be appointed by the president pro tempore 10 of the senate and the speaker of the assembly. 11 (ii) The governor's appointees shall include all of the following: 12 (A) One appointee from the field of academia that has expertise in 13 civil rights. 14 (B) One appointee with experience working to implement racial justice 15 reform. 16 (C) Two appointees from grassroots organizations that are presently 17 championing the cause of reparatory justice for American Freedmen. 18 (D) One appointee who is an expert in constitutional law. 19 (iii) No more than four members of the legislature shall be on the 20 task force. 21 (iv) Task force members shall be in support of American Freedmen line- 22 age-based reparations. 23 (b) Qualification of members. All members shall have demonstrated 24 through prior community service and/or professional activities that they 25 represent the interests of American Freedmen within communities through- 26 out the state, possess expertise, at least, in the fields of history, 27 civil rights, law, economics, and psychology, and, to the extent possi- 28 ble, represent geographically diverse areas of the state. 29 (c) Meetings of the task force. (i) The governor shall call the first 30 meeting no later than thirty days after the members of the task force 31 have been appointed. 32 (ii) Six members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. 33 (iii) The task force shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its 34 members. The term of office of each shall be for the life of the task 35 force. 36 (d) Compensation. (i) The members of the task force shall receive no 37 compensation for their service as members, but shall be reimbursed for 38 their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their 39 duties. 40 (ii) For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the legislature, 41 a legislative member of the task force shall be entitled to per diem 42 compensation and reimbursement of expenses upon appropriation by the 43 legislature. 44 (iii) Non-legislative members of the task force shall be entitled to 45 per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses upon appropriation 46 by the legislature. 47 § 6. Powers of the task force. (a) Powers; generally. The task force, 48 for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act, has the 49 authority to: 50 (i) create subcommittees. 51 (ii) create its own bylaws. 52 (iii) hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and at such 53 places in the United States, as the task force considers appropriate. 54 (iv) request the production of books, records, correspondence, memo- 55 randa, papers, and documents.
A. 5603 5 1 (v) seek an order from a Superior Court compelling testimony or 2 compliance with a subpoena. 3 (b) Powers of subcommittees and members. Any subcommittee or member of 4 the task force may, if authorized by the task force, take any action 5 which the task force is authorized to take by this section. 6 (c) Obtaining official data. The task force may acquire directly from 7 the head of any state agency, or instrumentality of the state, available 8 information which the task force considers useful in the discharge of 9 its duties. All departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the 10 state shall cooperate with the task force with respect to such informa- 11 tion and shall furnish all information requested by the task force to 12 the extent permitted by law. The task force shall keep confidential any 13 information received from a state agency that is meant to be confiden- 14 tial or exempt from article 6 of the public officers law. 15 § 7. Termination. The task force shall terminate ninety days after the 16 date on which the task force submits its final report to the Legislature 17 as provided in paragraph (v) of subdivision (b) of section four of this 18 act. 19 § 8. Administrative provisions. (a) The task force may appoint and fix 20 the compensation of such personnel as the task force considers appropri- 21 ate. 22 (b) The task force shall have the administrative, technical, and legal 23 assistance of the state. 24 (c) The task force may procure supplies, services, and property by 25 contract in accordance with applicable laws and rules including, but not 26 limited to, sections one hundred three and one hundred four of the 27 general municipal law. 28 (d) The task force may enter into contracts for the purposes of 29 conducting research or surveys, preparing reports, and performing other 30 activities necessary for the discharge of the duties of the task force 31 with state departments, agencies, and other instrumentalities, federal 32 departments, agencies, and other instrumentalities, and private enti- 33 ties. 34 § 9. New York state freedmen's bureau. There is hereby established the 35 New York state freedmen's bureau, which may be referred to in this act 36 as the "freedmen's bureau", charged with the distribution of reparations 37 and reparative justice as recommended by the task force and further 38 passed in legislation by the state. In addition, the bureau shall focus 39 on, but not be limited to: genealogical research, community life, educa- 40 tion, and workforce development for American Freedmen. The bureau's 41 initial tasks upon formation will be genealogical research specifically 42 for connecting American Freedmen with their lineage. Also, during the 43 task force's existence the bureau will serve to take on all genealogical 44 work directed by the task force. Once the task force concludes, its 45 findings and recommendations will direct the continued scope of the New 46 York freedmen's bureau which will be tasked with being the central 47 administrator of programs recommended by the task force for American 48 Freedmen which become law. 49 § 10. Federal reparations. Any state-level reparation actions that are 50 undertaken as a result of this task force are not a replacement for any 51 reparations enacted at the federal level, and shall not be interpreted 52 as such. 53 § 11. Budget. Monies appropriated for the New York state American 54 Freedmen task force on reparations remedies and the New York state 55 freedmen's bureau shall be distributed as follows:
A. 5603 6 1 (a) New York freedmen's bureau: fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) 2 per fiscal year. 3 (b) New York state American Freedmen task force on reparations reme- 4 dies: twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000) which shall be used as 5 follows: 6 (i) Member reimbursement: two hundred fifty thousand dollars 7 ($250,000). Member reimbursement shall not exceed two hundred fifty 8 thousand dollars ($250,000) over the life of the task force. Receipts 9 shall be required for any reimbursement and only preauthorized expenses 10 shall be covered from any funds appropriated to the task force. 11 (ii) Expert witness travel, lodging and incidental costs: five hundred 12 thousand dollars ($500,000). 13 (iii) Marketing: ten million dollars ($10,000,000). 14 (iv) Community outreach and education: ten million dollars 15 ($10,000,000). 16 (v) Administrative staff, equipment and office space: one million two 17 hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000). 18 § 12. Appropriation. The sum of seventy-two million dollars 19 ($72,000,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appro- 20 priated to the New York state American Freedmen task force on repara- 21 tions remedies and the New York freedmen's bureau from any moneys in the 22 state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes 23 account not otherwise appropriated for the purposes of carrying out the 24 provisions of this act. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and 25 warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by 26 the chair of the New York state American Freedmen task force on repara- 27 tions remedies or the director of the New York state freedmen's bureau, 28 or their duly designated representative in the manner provided by law. 29 § 13. This act shall take effect immediately and sections three, four, 30 five, six, seven, and eight of this act shall expire and be deemed 31 repealed ninety days after the New York state American Freedmen task 32 force on reparations remedies submits its final report to the legisla- 33 ture as provided in paragraph (v) of subdivision (b) of section four of 34 this act; provided that, the chair of the New York state American Freed- 35 men task force on reparations remedies shall notify the legislative bill 36 drafting commission upon the submission of its report as provided in 37 paragraph (v) of subdivision (b) of section four of this act in order 38 that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data 39 base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furth- 40 erance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative 41 law and section 70-b of the public officers law.