WeVote
Log In

Bill

JA

Bill

HB 6111

Civil rights: other; American Freedmen reparations commission; establish. Creates new act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joey Andrews and 28 co-sponsors

Creates a Michigan body, the American Freedmen Reparations Commission, to study slavery’s legacy and propose reparations policy within 18 months.

bill electronically reproduced 06/18/2026
#civilrights:other #stateagencies(proposed):boardsandcommissions
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 6111

Overview

HB 6111 proposes establishing the American Freedmen Reparations Commission in Michigan to study, design, and recommend reparations for American Freedmen (descendants of enslaved individuals) and to outline the state’s role and processes in implementing such reparations. The commission would operate within the Department of Treasury for administrative purposes, with a multi-part structure for appointments, procedures, reporting, and potential remedies.

Purpose and Intent

  • Create a formal, state-level mechanism to acknowledge and address the legacy of slavery and its ongoing effects on American Freedmen in Michigan.
  • Study historical slavery and related discriminatory policies in Michigan, identify data gaps, and propose concrete reparations measures.
  • Produce a legislative-recommendation report within 18 months of the commission’s first meeting, including possible monetary and non-monetary remedies, public education, and formal apologies.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Definitions:

    • American Freedmen: individuals with at least one enslaved ancestor who were denied rights due to Dred Scott v. Sanford (1856).
    • Reparations: includes monetary compensation, policies to close the racial wealth gap, and the creation of an educational system akin to land-grant institutions for American Freedmen.
    • Enslaved individual, Freedmen’s Bureau, and related terms are defined to ground the bill’s scope.

  • Commission Creation and Structure (Sec. 5):

    • Establishes the American Freedmen Reparations Commission in the Department of Treasury.
    • Composition: 9 members total (no more than 4 legislative members).
    • Governor-appointed: 5 members (1 academic expert on civil rights/Freedmen’s Bureau history; 2 grassroots reparations advocates; 2 constitutional law experts).
    • Senate President Pro Tempore-appointed: 2 members.
    • House Speaker-appointed: 2 members.
    • Appointment timing: within 90 days of act’s effect.
    • Term: life of the commission; vacancies filled for the remainder of terms.
    • Removal: governor may remove for specified cause.
    • Meetings: first meeting within 30 days of appointments; regular meetings at least monthly; quorum of 5; decisions require 5 votes.
    • Compliance: open meetings act; records under FOIA; per diem for non-legislative members; legislative members receive per diem only for in-session meetings.

  • Administrative Support (Sec. 7):

    • Civil Rights Department to provide administrative services, personnel, office space, meeting notice, and minutes/records.

  • Scope of Study and Proposals (Sec. 9):

    • Compile and synthesize evidentiary documentation of slavery in Michigan, including:
    • Origins and transport of enslaved people, sale as chattel, treatment, racial discrimination, and impacts on families and culture.
    • Discrimination laws affecting formerly enslaved individuals post-1868 and ongoing public/private sector disparities (housing, loans, education funding, etc.).
    • Data disaggregation: improve state-collected data to track parity and progress.
    • Reporting timeline: by 18 months after the commission’s first meeting, deliver findings and recommendations, including:
    • Remedies (reparations and international-law-aligned measures).
    • Details on monetary compensation if chosen, including form and calculation.
    • Public education strategy on findings.
    • Remedies for injuries stemming from slavery and discrimination (policies, programs, projects).
    • Formal state apology for human rights violations.
    • Findings on continuing discriminatory laws/policies and their effects.
    • Other warranted rehabilitation or restitution measures and their form.

  • Powers and Tools (Sec. 11):

    • Hearings, subpoenas, court-supported testimony, and information from state agencies.
    • Contracts with state/federal/private entities for research and surveys.
    • Personnel hiring and procurement authority under state management laws.

  • Financial/Legal Clarifications (Secs. 13, 15):

    • Reparations under this act are not a replacement for potential federal reparations.
    • The commission dissolves after submitting its report.

Who Would Be Affected

  • American Freedmen and their descendants in Michigan, who could be beneficiaries of reparations or related programs.
  • State government and state agencies, which would provide administrative support, data, and cooperation.
  • Academic, civil rights, grassroots reparations organizations, constitutional law experts, and other stakeholders involved in the commission’s composition and work.
  • The broader Michigan public, through investigations, education efforts, and potential policy changes arising from the commission’s recommendations.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Establishment and appointments: within 90 days of enactment.
  • First meeting: within 30 days after appointments; ongoing monthly meetings.
  • Reporting deadline: 18 months from the commission’s first meeting.
  • Quorum and voting: 5 members required to transact business; voting threshold of 5 for actions.
  • Post-report: the commission is dissolved after delivering its report.

Potential Impact and Considerations

  • Creates a formal, structured pathway to explore reparations in Michigan and to consider both monetary and systemic remedies.
  • Emphasizes data-driven analysis and disaggregated data to assess current disparities.
  • Envisions a significant advisory impact, with the executive and legislative branches retaining final policymaking authority; the act does not itself authorize funding or implementation of reparations, but could lead to subsequent legislation or executive action.
  • Raises questions about scope, eligibility specifics, funding mechanisms, and legislative follow-through on recommended measures.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.