Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) approved legislation establishing a new state agency to administer programs for descendants of slaves, marking the latest step in his years-long effort to advance reparations policies despite ongoing political and fiscal challenges.
The move follows years of stalled negotiations, activist pressure and budget shortfalls, as Newsom continues to work to advance the issue in the nation’s most populous state.
The new law, Senate Bill 518, creates THE Office of Descendants of American Slavery within the California Department of Civil Rights. The office will be headed by a deputy director appointed by the governor and organized into three main divisions: Genealogy, Education and Outreach, and Legal Affairs. The agency will be responsible for verifying individual lineage, managing public education efforts about historical discrimination, and ensuring compliance with the law as reparations-related initiatives expand.
Implementation of the office is contingent on future legislative appropriations, and the bill authorizes the agency to receive funding from federal, state, and private sources. The law also establishes privacy requirements for the processing of genetic and personal information and explicitly limits public access to such data.
SB 518 builds on previous efforts launched during the Newsom administration. In 2020, he sign AB 3121, creating a task force to study and recommend reparations proposals for Black Californians. This task force, formed following the George Floyd riots, then propose payments exceeding $1 million per eligible resident and recommended other measures such as overturning California’s ban on affirmative action, Proposition 209.
While the governor had initially distanced himself of the idea of direct cash reparations, saying the issue was “much more than cash payments,” he has since endorsed a series of related bills, including a formal state bill. apologies for slavery in 2024 and legislation offer non-monetary remedies such as homeownership and education benefits.
Newsom’s new agency comes after previous legislative setbacks. Amendments and disagreements within the California Legislative Black Caucus delayed the creation of an office dedicated to reparations last year, drawing criticism from activists who accused lawmakers of bowing to political pressure. The governor Ultimately vetoed an earlier proposal citing the lack of an agency to manage the program, a problem SB 518 is supposed to address by creating an office to administer future reparations initiatives.
Under the new framework, the bureau’s Genealogy Division will certify individuals as descendants of slaves based on specific lineage criteria, including tracing ancestry back to individuals emancipated or classified as contraband before 1900. Certified descendants would then be eligible for future state programs related to reparations eligibility. The Division of Education and Outreach will develop campaigns on issues such as redlining, gentrification and housing discrimination, while the Division of Legal Affairs will provide guidance to ensure compliance with state law.
The California debate on reparations has evolved over five years, from initial studies And public hearings to the creation of working groups And commissions focused on racial equity. The Racial Equity Commission, established by Newsom in 2022, also drew on the recommendations of the Reparations Task Force and continues to develop a statewide “racial equity framework.”
Even though California between Union as a free state in 1850, proponents of the reparations effort argue that the state perpetuated racial inequality through discriminatory practices in housing, education, and employment. Others have interviewed the feasibility of such programs, taking into account the estimates of the working group exceeding $800 billion, more than double California’s annual budget, and polling showing most voters oppose direct cash payments.
