Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation creating a commission to study reparations and racial justice.

The legislation (S.1163-A/A.7691) establishes the Community Commission on Reparations Remedies, which will include nine members. The legislation gives one year for a report to be finalized by the commission and submitted to Hochul and the state Legislature. Its recommendations are non-binding and the state Legislature would not have to take further action once the study is completed.

The state Assembly debated A.7691/S.1163 for more than three hours in June, with several members of the Assembly on both sides of the political aisle giving their thoughts. Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, Assemblyman Joe Giglio, R-Gowanda, and state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, all voted against the reparations commission.

Goodell questioned how a reparations system could be done fairly, including land that was taken from Native Americans. One of those areas is Chautauqua County, which was once home to the Seneca Nation.

“I wanted to focus on where we have I think bipartisan and I think unanimous agreement,” Goodell said in June. “Everyone in this chamber on both sides of the aisle, I think, are fully committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has a fair and equal opportunity to succeed in life, to maximize their human potential. And I know that all of us are committed to ensuring that every move forward that we address in a strong and compassionate way any impediments to anyone achieving their maximum potential. The concern that I and some others have is that this bill focuses in part on what we can do moving forward, for which I have complete support, but in part in looking backwards. And I support looking backwards to the extent it helps us understand how we need to move forward. But our focus should always be forward. The call for reparations creates that challenge for several of us.”

Prior to the American Revolution, there were more enslaved Africans in New York City than in any other city except Charleston, S.C., and the population of enslaved Africans accounted for 20% of New York’s population, while 40% of colonial New York households owned enslaved Africans. The bill’s text specifically acknowledges the significant role the institution of slavery played in the establishment and history of New York.

“Today, we are continuing our efforts to right the wrongs of the past by acknowledging the painful legacy of slavery in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “We have a moral obligation to reckon with all parts of our shared history as New Yorkers, and this commission marks a critical step forward in these efforts.”

California has undertaken a similar study by its own commission, which wrapped two years of work on June 29 with the official submission of a report that documents the state’s role in perpetuating discrimination against Black residents and suggests dozens of ways to atone, according to the Associated Press. The report heads to lawmakers who will be responsible for turning policy recommendations into legislation. Reparations will not happen until lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom agree, the AP reports. The recommendations include a formal apology to descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. and financial compensation for harms descendants have suffered, such as over policing and housing discrimination. The panel also recommended the state create a new agency to oversee reparations efforts.

The Associated Press reports the California commission did not recommend a fixed dollar amount for financial redress, but endorsed methodologies by economists for calculating what is owed for decades of over policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination. Initial calculations pegged the potential cost to California at more than $800 billion — more than 2.5 times the state’s $300 billion annual budget — although that cost was reduced to $500 billion in a later report without explanation. The task force narrowly voted to limit individual financial redress to residents who can document lineage from Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, thereby excluding more recent immigrants.

William Darity, a professor of public policy and African and African American Studies at Duke University, told the Associated Press in June that it is virtually impossible for states to meet the potentially hefty payouts, instead calling on the federal government to take responsibility since it has the financial capacity to pay true reparations.

While California was the first to undertake a reparations study, the New York bill’s Senate sponsor said Tuesday he views New York’s upcoming study as a model for the rest of the country.

“Today, we plant a seed of hope, not just for the City of New York and New York State, but for the nation,” said state Sen. James Sanders, D-South Ozone Park. “The bill number S.1163A is a testament to the power of persistence, of unwavering voices demanding justice. Let this be a beacon, a call to action for every corner of this country to confront their own histories, to acknowledge the injustices that bind us, and to work together towards a future where reparations are not just a word, but a lived reality for all. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul for signing this historic bill into law. This is a monumental step forward in our fight for racial justice, and it would not have been possible without the Governor’s courage and commitment. The bill number S.1163A isn’t a finish line, but a starting gate. The reparations commission it establishes is a vessel for truth, a platform for voices silenced for too long. Their findings will not be easy, but they will be necessary. They will guide us towards reparations not just for the past, but for the future, building a legacy of equity where every child, regardless of their heritage, can dream without the shackles of historical injustice. I believe that reparations are essential to achieving true racial justice in our country. We must acknowledge and address the harms of the past in order to create a more just and equitable future for all.”