Skip to main content
HR 40 108th Congress House

Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

Official title: To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.

Introduced: January 7, 2003 See on congress.gov
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Black historyBlacksClaimsCongress
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Congressional reporting requirementsFederal advisory bodiesGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment liabilityHistoryLawMinoritiesRacial discriminationReparationsSlaveryState laws
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 16, 2004
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1146)
Mar 6, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
Jan 7, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 7, 2003
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action June 16, 2004

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1146)

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
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.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 10
All 10 Democratic 8
CHRISTENSEN, DONNA
· Oct 7, 2003
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Mar 11, 2003
 D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Feb 26, 2003
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Jan 7, 2003
MCCARTHY, KAREN
· Jan 7, 2003
 D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Jan 7, 2003
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Jan 7, 2003
 D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Jan 7, 2003
 D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Jan 7, 2003
 D
Waters, Maxine
California · Jan 7, 2003
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-40/
MLA
"H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-40/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 40, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-40/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-40/)
Report a problem