NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2769
SPONSOR: Wright (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend chapter 137 of the laws of 1817 relat-
ing to slaves and servants, in relation to acknowledging the tragedy of
slavery in New York state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill acknowledges the tragedy of
slavery in New York state and establishes a commemorative day in tribute
to persons enslaved in New York.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1. New York state government
formally acknowledges and apologizes for the legalization and perpet-
uation of slavery and the slave trade in New York state.
JUSTIFICATION: For more than two hundred years slavery existed in what
became New York state. New York state government not only legalized the
enslavement of Africans and their descendants, but also enacted "slave
codes," taxes on the sale of enslaved persons and fines payable to the
local government or poor house administrators for violations of the
"slave codes." In chapter 137 of the laws of 1817, for example, New York
state government provided for the gradual emancipation of enslaved
persons by July 4, 1827. This statute however, also provided penalties
for harboring an enslaved person or servant, and permitted an enslaved
person to be abandoned at age 21 with certification by local government.
As the recently held World Conference Against Racism (Durban, South
Africa, 2002) proclaimed in its final document, "... slavery and the
slave trade are a crime against humanity and should always have been
so...". This bill seeks to have the state, as the government of New
York apologize for New York's role in the enslavement of Africans and
their descendants.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2011 - A.2975 2009 - A.1300 2007 - A.273B
2005 - A.7327
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None
EFFECTIVE DATE: This bill is effective immediately
