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Committee advances bills setting state roles for reparations genealogy and a bureau for descendants
Summary
The committee advanced SB 437 (outline and oversight for a CSU-conducted genealogy methodology) and SB 518 (creation of a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery) after hours of public comment divided sharply between genealogists and grassroots reparations advocates.
Two linked measures on reparations advanced from the committee after divided testimony: SB 437 would set guardrails and reporting requirements for a $6,000,000 state-funded project to develop a standardized, evidence-based methodology for genealogical verification at the California State University (CSU) system; SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to coordinate reparations-related services (including a genealogy division, property reclamation and outreach divisions) housed initially in an existing department pending further decisions.
Senator Weber-Pearson presented SB 437 as an accountability measure tied to a budget allocation the legislature and governor approved: “Without SB 437, the CSU will start its work without a clear…
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