A bill is moving forward at the State House that would establish a special commission to study the feasibility and implementation of reparations payments and to draft a formal apology on behalf of Massachusetts residents for slavery in the United States.

The joint bill (H. 1753), filed by state Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston) and state Sen. Liz Miranda (D-2nd Suffolk), was taken up by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on Tuesday.

If passed, the commission would be tasked with recommending “reparative actions for slavery, its consequences and continued vestiges on residents of African descent,” and serving as the primary resource on the subject of reparations.

As of 2025, no U.S. state or municipality has completed a large-scale reparations program. A number of states and cities have f

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