SB 490: California American Freedmen Affairs Agency.
- Session Year: 2023-2024
- House: Senate
Current Status:
Failed
(2023-08-22: From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.)
Introduced
First Committee Review
First Chamber
Second Committee Review
Second Chamber
Enacted
Former law, until July 1, 2023, established the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States (Task Force). Under existing law, the Task Force consists of 9 members, with 5 members appointed by the Governor, 2 members appointed by the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Existing law establishes the term of office for members as the life of the Task Force.
Former law required the Task Force, among other things, to identify, compile, and synthesize the relevant corpus of evidentiary documentation of the institution of slavery that existed within the United States and the colonies, as specified, and to recommend the form of compensation that should be awarded, the instrumentalities through which it should be awarded, and who should be eligible for this compensation. Existing law requires the Task Force to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature within one year of the first meeting of the Task Force, as prescribed. Existing law repeals these provisions on July 1, 2023.
This bill would establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency in state government, under the control of the director, who would be appointed by the Governor. The bill would require the agency to implement the recommendations of the Task Force, as approved by the Legislature and the Governor. To accomplish this goal, the bill would require the agency to be comprised of specified offices, including a Genealogy Office and an Office of Strategic Communications and Media Affairs that would be responsible for specified duties related to reparations and claims.
The bill would also require the agency to oversee and monitor existing state agencies and departments tasked with engaging in direct implementation of the policies that fall within the scope of the existing state agencies and departments authority. In that regard, the bill would establish specified offices within the agency to provide prescribed oversight of existing state agencies and departments, such as a Social Services and Family Affairs Office to provide oversight of existing state agencies efforts to identify and mitigate the ways that current and previous policies have damaged and destabilized descendant families. Among other things, the bill would also require the agency to include certain offices, including a Medical Services Office and a Legal Affairs Office, to perform other specified oversight and monitoring duties related to the goals of the Task Force.
Discussed in Hearing
View Older Hearings
Bill Author
