Descendants of enslaved persons: reparations.

Senator Weber Pierson's proposal to establish a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery would create a new state entity focused on documenting and addressing historical property losses among descendants of enslaved persons. The bureau, operating under a governor-appointed director confirmed by the Senate, would house four specialized divisions to manage distinct aspects of this work.

The bureau's Genealogy Division would develop protocols for certifying eligible descendants and processing claims for compensation related to documented California-specific harms. A Property Reclamation Division would compile a database of state property ownership, investigate cases of racially-motivated eminent domain, and process claims regarding property seizures. Upon future legislative appropriation, this division would distribute compensation based on historical property values adjusted for appreciation.

Additional components include an Education and Outreach Division tasked with public education about urban planning history and displacement patterns in California, and a Legal Affairs Division providing counsel on bureau operations and inter-agency coordination. The bill exempts the bureau from standard restrictions on state agencies employing in-house legal counsel, allowing it to maintain dedicated legal staff. While establishing these structural elements, the legislation does not include immediate funding appropriations for compensation payments, leaving those decisions for future legislative action.