Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act
Key claim: The bill establishes a federal commission to document slavery and subsequent discrimination and to recommend remedies for African Americans, including a formal apology and reparations.
Abstract
(HR40 · 119th Congress) Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. The commission must (1) compile documentary evidence of slavery in the United States; (2) study the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery; (3) analyze discriminatory laws and policies against freed African slaves and their descendants; and (4) recommend ways the United States may recognize and remedy the effects of slavery and discrimination on African Americans, including through a formal apology and compensation (i.e., reparations). The commission consists of individuals from civil society and reparations organizations and individuals appointed by the President and congressional leadership; Members of Congress and governmental employees may not serve on the commission. The commission may hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and records, and contract with other entities to conduct its work. The commission must submit its final report within 18 months of its first meeting. Latest action (2025-01-03): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Why this matters
HR40 is the longest-running federal vehicle for formally studying whether and how the U.S. government should acknowledge and remedy slavery and subsequent racial discrimination affecting African Americans. Its repeated reintroduction without floor action signals that the underlying policy question — whether a study commission (let alone reparations) is warranted — remains politically contested, while advocates view even the study itself as a threshold civil-rights recognition.