Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed a bill into law that will create a community commission to look into potential slavery reparation.
The panel will be tasked with studying the state’s history of slavery and how to repair its lasting impacts on descendants of enslaved New Yorkers. Slavery remained legal in New York until 1827.
The commission will be comprised of nine members with three members chosen by each the governor, state Assembly speaker and majority leader of the state Senate. The members would have to submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than one year after the date of the commission’s first meeting.
“Today, we are continuing our efforts to right the wrongs of the past by acknowledging the painful legacy of slavery in New York,” Hochul said. “We have a moral obligation to reckon with all parts of our shared history as New Yorkers, and this commission marks a critical step forward in these efforts.”