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Senate Bill S5646

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Relates to acknowledging that the institution of slavery was an appalling tragedy in the history of this state

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

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2009-S5646 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1300
Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Legislature
Laws Affected:
Add ยง32-a, Chap 137 of 1817
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S1374, A2975
2013-2014: S1272, A2769
2015-2016: S2462, A3847
2017-2018: S5090
2019-2020: S2220
2021-2022: S3387
2023-2024: S1431
2025-2026: S1660

2009-S5646 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to acknowledging that the institution of slavery was an appalling tragedy in the history of this state.

2009-S5646 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S5646 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5646

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 26, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. PERKINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
  ment Operations

AN ACT to amend chapter 137 of the laws of 1817 relating to  slaves  and
  servants,  in  relation to acknowledging the tragedy of slavery in New
  York state

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Chapter  137  of  the laws of 1817 relating to slaves and
servants is amended by adding a new section XXXII-a to read as follows:
  S XXXII-A.   ACKNOWLEDGES THAT  SLAVERY,  THE  TRANSATLANTIC  AND  THE
DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE WERE APPALLING TRAGEDIES IN THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK
STATE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR ABHORRENT BARBARISM BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF
THEIR  MAGNITUDE,  ORGANIZED NATURE AND ESPECIALLY THEIR NEGATION OF THE
HUMANITY OF THE ENSLAVED PERSON. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE INSTITUTIONS  OF  SLAVERY  AND  THE  SLAVE
TRADE  IN  ENSLAVED  PERSONS  ARE NOW AND SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE BEEN CRIMES
AGAINST THIS STATE AS WELL AS CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE STATE OF NEW YORK FORMALLY APOLOGIZES FOR ITS ROLE  IN  SANCTIONING,
EXPLOITING  AND  PERPETUATING  SLAVERY  AND  ITS VESTIGES, INCLUDING THE
ENACTMENT OF SLAVE CODES THAT CREATED  THE  EXPLOITATION  AND  ABUSE  OF
CHILDREN,  AND  THE  DISSOLUTION OF THEIR FAMILIES AS PERSONIFIED BY THE
LIFE AND LEGACY OF SOJOURNER TRUTH.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.



 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00024-01-9

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