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Senate Bill S1660

2025-2026 Legislative Session

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

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

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2025-S1660 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Legislature
Laws Affected:
Add §XXXII-a, Chap 137 of 1817
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S5646, S4738
2011-2012: S1374
2013-2014: S1272
2015-2016: S2462
2017-2018: S5090
2019-2020: S2220
2021-2022: S3387
2023-2024: S1431

2025-S1660 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S1660 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1660 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1660
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  BAILEY, KRUEGER, PARKER -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investi-
   gations and Government 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:
   § 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04679-01-5

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