MA H1696

Establishes a 15-member commission to study and develop lineage-based reparations proposals for "American Freedmen" — descendants of people emancipated via the 13th Amendment in 1865 or earlier

Commission membership includes 11 governor appointees and 4 legislative appointees with expertise in remedial justice, genealogy, slavery history, forensic accounting, public policy, and constitutional law; majority must be members of the American Freedmen class

Commission must document effects of slavery's legacy including domestic terrorism, housing segregation, unequal education, stolen labor, unjust legal systems, and the wealth gap on the Freedmen class in Massachusetts

Reparative remedies to be considered include lump sum payments, yearly payments, victims' assistance funds, homeowners' assistance, tuition assistance, tuition refunds, mortgage refunds, and tax credits

Commission must submit findings, recommendations, and draft legislation within 2 years to the legislature and will serve as an ongoing advisory resource to the permanent commission on the status of African Americans