SACRAMENTO, CA—The California Legislative Black Caucus announced today that two of their signature bills, Senate Bill 437 (Weber Pierson) and Senate Bill 518 (Weber Pierson), have officially cleared the Legislature and are now on their way to the Governor’s desk. Together, these measures represent the first-in-the-nation framework to implement the recommendations of California’s historic Reparations Task Force and begin the work of true reparative justice.
In 2020, California made history by passing Assembly Bill 3121, authored by then-Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., establishing the first state-level advisory body in the nation to study and develop reparatory justice proposals. After two years of public hearings, the California Reparations Task Force released a groundbreaking report detailing the harms of slavery and systemic racism in California and outlining a comprehensive set of remedies. With the passage of SB 437 and SB 518, those recommendations are now moving from vision to reality.
SB 437 directs the California State University to establish a research-based methodology for verifying descendant status. This will create the foundation for identifying and serving eligible descendants.
SB 518 establishes the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to oversee verification, outreach, and future program implementation. The Bureau will serve as the central state agency ensuring Task Force recommendations move from report to reality.
“These bills are about accountability, dignity, and the beginning of repair,” said CLBC Chair Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. “California led the nation by creating the Reparations Task Force. Now we must lead again, not with words alone, but with structures, research, and processes that make repair possible. Today, we take the next step toward justice for descendants whose lives and communities have been shaped by the legacy of slavery. This work is long overdue, and we will meet it with the courage and responsibility our state demands,” said Weber Pierson.
The bills now head to Governor Newsom for consideration, potentially enacting legislation that would cement California’s place as the first state in the nation to take concrete steps toward reparative justice.
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