ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's Senate and House of Delegates are considering legislation to create a statewide Reparations Commission.
The commission would be unpaid and made up of several individuals including lawmakers, HBCU representatives, and state agency heads.
Their job would be to study and recommend "appropriate benefits to be made to individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies."
“Inequitable government policies means federal, State, or local government policies during the periods commonly known as the post–Reconstruction era and the Jim Crow era, 1877 through 1965, that have led to economic disparities based on race, including housing segregation and discrimination, redlining, restrictive covenants, and tax policies," the proposed bill reads.
The commission would be tasked with submitting a preliminary report by January 1, 2027, followed by a final report by November 1, 2027.
Some of the reparations to be considered include statements of apology, financial compensation, property tax rebates, social service assistance, licensing and permit fee waivers, home down payment assistance, business incentives, child care costs, debt forgiveness, and college tuition.
The proposed legislation doesn't specify how any of this would be paid for, but cites "private businesses and organizations in the State that have benefited from the institution of slavery or inequitable government policies," as potential funding sources.
As for immediate costs, lawmakers estimate hiring one contractual staffer to handle the commission's work at an annual salary of around $54,500 through the end of fiscal year 2028.
Right now there is a House and Senate version of the bills pending votes in their respective committees.
Thus far there have been a couple attempts to convene reparations committees around the state.
Baltimore City residents, in November, voted in favor of Question G, creating a community reinvestment and reparations fund, stemming from 2022 Cannabis Reform legislation.
In 2021voters in Greenbelt approved a 21-person commission to discuss local reparations for African American and Native American residents.
