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Commission hears update on state reparations bills; Senate measure still active
Summary
A commissioner updated the group that House bill H.1753 was referred for study and is unlikely to pass this session, while Senate bill S.1181 received a favorable Judiciary Committee report and now sits in Senate Ways and Means.
A commissioner briefed the commission on recent activity in the Massachusetts legislature on reparations bills.
The presenter said House bill H.1753 was referred for study and noted that in practical terms such referral usually halts a bill for the session. By contrast, Senate bill S.1181 received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Judiciary Committee and was referred to Senate Ways and Means; that bill would create a 15‑member commission to study reparative proposals if it proceeds. The presenter said S.1181 had sponsors including state Sen. Liz Miranda and a local cosponsor and cautioned that the bill still faces a long path through ways and means and the full legislature.
Commissioners discussed whether the commission should recommend endorsement of the pending Senate bill and whether there was time to get a city council recommendation in this session. The presenter said S.1181 could be amended in committee and that the commission could consider supporting the senate vehicle (S.1181) as the current viable mechanism.
