STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1660
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, KRUEGER, PARKER -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investi-
gations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend chapter 137 of the laws of 1817 relating to slaves and
servants, in relation to acknowledging the tragedy of slavery in New
York state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Chapter 137 of the laws of 1817 relating to slaves and
2 servants is amended by adding a new section XXXII-a to read as follows:
3 § XXXII-a. Acknowledges that slavery, the transatlantic and the
4 domestic slave trade were appalling tragedies in the history of New York
5 state not only because of their abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of
6 their magnitude, organized nature and especially their negation of the
7 humanity of the enslaved person. The government of the state of New York
8 further acknowledges that the institutions of slavery and the slave
9 trade in enslaved persons are now and should always have been crimes
10 against this state as well as crimes against humanity. The government of
11 the state of New York formally apologizes for its role in sanctioning,
12 exploiting and perpetuating slavery and its vestiges, including the
13 enactment of slave codes that created the exploitation and abuse of
14 children, and the dissolution of their families as personified by the
15 life and legacy of Sojourner Truth.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04679-01-5
