Senate Bill S5624A

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Establishes the Commission to Study Reparations for African-Americans and to Recommend Remedies; makes an appropriation of $250,000

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2017-S5624 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7274
Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Appropriations
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: S2904, A3080
2021-2022: S1118, A2619, A9435
2023-2024: S1163

2017-S5624 - Summary

Relates to acknowledging the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the city of New York and the state of New York; establishes the commission to study reparations for African-Americans and to recommend remedies to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, the impact of these forces on living African-Americans and to make recommendations on appropriate remedies; makes an appropriation therefor; and provides for the repeal of such provisions.

2017-S5624 - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5624 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5624
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 21, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality  and
   inhumanity  of  slavery  in  the city of New York and the state of New
   York; to establish the Commission to Study Reparations for African-Am-
   ericans and to Recommend Remedies, to examine the institution of slav-
   ery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and  economic  discrimi-
   nation  against  African-Americans,  and the impact of these forces on
   living African-Americans and to make  recommendations  on  appropriate
   remedies;  making  an  appropriation  therefor;  and providing for the
   repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act shall be known and may be cited as the "Repara-
 tions commission on slavery in New York state;  a  study  and  call  for
 remedies act".
   §  2. Legislative intent.  Contrary to what many people believe, slav-
 ery was not just a southern institution. Prior  to  the  American  Revo-
 lution,  there  were more enslaved Africans in New York City than in any
 other city except Charleston, South Carolina. During this period, slaves
 accounted for 20% of the population of New York and approximately 40% of
 colonial New York's households owned slaves. These slaves were an  inte-
 gral part of the population which settled and developed what we now know
 as the state of New York.
   The  first  slaves arrived in New Amsterdam, a Dutch settlement estab-
 lished at the southern tip  of  Manhattan  Island,  around  1627.  These
 enslaved  Africans  did  not  belong  to individuals, but worked for the
 Dutch West India Company. The Dutch East India Company  had  established
 Fort  Amsterdam,  a  fortification  located  on  the southern tip of the
 island of Manhattan, for the purpose  of  defending  the  company's  fur
 trade  operations  in the North River, now known as the Hudson River. In
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2017-S5624A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7274
Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Appropriations
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: S2904, A3080
2021-2022: S1118, A2619, A9435
2023-2024: S1163

2017-S5624A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to acknowledging the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the city of New York and the state of New York; establishes the commission to study reparations for African-Americans and to recommend remedies to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, the impact of these forces on living African-Americans and to make recommendations on appropriate remedies; makes an appropriation therefor; and provides for the repeal of such provisions.

2017-S5624A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5624A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5624--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 21, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, ALCANTARA, PARKER -- read twice and ordered
   printed,  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
   -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered  reprinted  as  amended
   and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and
   inhumanity of slavery in the city of New York and  the  state  of  New
   York; to establish the Commission to Study Reparations for African-Am-
   ericans and to Recommend Remedies, to examine the institution of slav-
   ery,  subsequently  de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimi-
   nation against African-Americans, and the impact of  these  forces  on
   living  African-Americans  and  to make recommendations on appropriate
   remedies; making an appropriation  therefor;  and  providing  for  the
   repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited  as  the  "Repara-
 tions  commission  on  slavery  in  New York state; a study and call for
 remedies act".
   § 2. Legislative intent.  Contrary to what many people believe,  slav-
 ery  was  not  just  a southern institution. Prior to the American Revo-
 lution, there were more enslaved Africans in New York City than  in  any
 other city except Charleston, South Carolina. During this period, slaves
 accounted for 20% of the population of New York and approximately 40% of
 colonial  New York's households owned slaves. These slaves were an inte-
 gral part of the population which settled and developed what we now know
 as the state of New York.
   The first slaves arrived in New Amsterdam, a Dutch  settlement  estab-
 lished  at  the  southern  tip  of  Manhattan Island, around 1627. These
 enslaved Africans did not belong to  individuals,  but  worked  for  the
 Dutch  West  India Company. The Dutch East India Company had established
 Fort Amsterdam, a fortification located  on  the  southern  tip  of  the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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