Three Black Caucus Reparations-Focused Bills Move Closer to Becoming California Law

September 3, 2025

Three bills from the California Legislative Black Caucus's "2025 Road to Repair" package have advanced from the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File to the Assembly floor. Senate Bills 515, 518, and 437 focus on gathering detailed demographic data for Black or African American ancestry, establishing a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, and allocating $6 million to the CSU system to research genealogical eligibility for reparations, respectively. Committee Chair Buffy Wicks emphasized the importance of these bills moving forward despite financial considerations.

Who is affected

Black/African American communities in California, particularly descendants of American chattel slavery
California city and county employees (through demographic data collection changes)
The California State University system (which would receive up to $6 million for genealogical research)
California state and local governments implementing new requirements
Reparations advocates and organizations with stakes in the legislation
Organizations supporting the bills, including the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference and the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC)

What action is being taken

The Assembly Appropriations Committee is advancing three CLBC bills from the Suspense File to the Assembly floor for voting
Advocates are attending hearings and expressing support or concerns about the bills
Organizations like the NAACP Cal-Hi State Conference are publicly supporting the bills
The Coalition For A Just and Equitable California (CJEC) is monitoring and mobilizing around the legislation
The legislature is evaluating the financial impacts of the proposed bills against their potential benefits

Why it matters

These bills represent steps toward implementing reparations policies for descendants of American slavery in California
SB 515 would improve data collection to address historic disparities among specific Black subgroups
SB 518 would establish an official bureau within the California Department of Justice to administer reparations
SB 437 would fund research on genealogical eligibility for reparations
The legislation has divided some reparations advocates, with concerns about potential delays in the process
The bills are part of the CLBC's broader "2025 Road to Repair" package aimed at addressing historical inequities

What's next

The California Legislature must pass the bills on or before September 12, 2023
If approved by the Assembly, the bills will move to the Senate for consideration
Governor Gavin Newsom will have until October 12, 2023, to sign or veto the bills if they pass both houses
If signed into law, SB 515's requirements for new demographic data categories would begin January 1, 2027

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint