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H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

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H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

108th Congress · introduced 2003-01-07 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Latest: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1146)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2003-01-07 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1146) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

Plain summary

Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act - Establishes the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans to examine: (1) the institution of slavery which existed within the United States and the colonies that became the United States from 1619 through 1865; (2) the extent to which the Federal and State governments supported the institution of slavery in constitutional and statutory provisions; (3) Federal and State laws that discriminated against freed African slaves and their descendants; and (4) the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery on living African-Americans and on society in the United States. Instructs the Commission to address the following issues when making its recommendations to Congress: (1) whether the Federal government should offer a formal apology for the perpetration of gross human rights violations on African slaves and their descendants; (2) whether African-Americans still suffer from the lingering effects of slavery; and (3) whether any form of compensation to the descendants of African slaves is warranted.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14] · 40 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Statute
A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr40 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108