Senate Bill S10107

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S10107

SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring signage be
placed alongside cultural materials, including artwork and artifacts
stolen during the transatlantic slave period and the domestic slave
trade period, between the 16th and 19th centuries, with its peak between
1700 and 1870, indicating such cultural material was stolen

 
PURPOSE:

To require that signage be placed alongside artwork that was stolen
during the Transatlantic Slave Trade period or the Domestic Slave Trade
period, or that is composed in whole or in part of materials such as
metals or other goods used in exchange for human captives sold into the
Transatlantic Slave Trade.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends 233-aa of the Education Law to add a new
              

subdivision 16 requiring every museum that displays art from the
sixteenth through nineteenth centuries to disclose their provenance.
This includes items that have changed hands in Africa, the United
States, or elsewhere during the time period of the Transatlantic and
Domestic Slave Trade period, and taken through seizure, theft, confis-
cation, forced sale, or any other involuntary means during this time
period. Museums must prominently display placards or other signage
acknowledging this history.

Section 2 of the bill sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Many artworks and cultural materials currently held in museums were
acquired through the domestic and transatlantic slave trade, including
through theft, coercion, and forced sales. These practices resulted in
profound cultural and material loss, particularly for African communi-
ties and their descendants. Despite this history, the origins of such
items are often not clearly disclosed to the public.  Requiring museums
to acknowledge the provenance of these artifacts promotes transparency,
accountability, and historical accuracy.  Providing this context allows
the public to better understand the conditions under which these items
were created and acquired, while recognizing the contributions and expe-
riences of the original creators. This legislation ensures that museums
present a more complete and truthful account of their collection.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.