Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery: racially motivated eminent domain.

Assembly Member McKinnor's legislation establishes a process for individuals to seek restitution when their property, or that of their ancestors, was taken through racially motivated eminent domain actions. The bill creates an Office of Legal Affairs within the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to review claims from property owners who received inadequate or no compensation due to racial discrimination.

The Office would evaluate applications to determine whether a taking was racially motivated and calculate appropriate compensation based on current fair market value. Successful claimants could receive either the return of their original property if still publicly held, comparable public property of equal value, or financial compensation adjusted for inflation. The legislation prioritizes claims from original property owners or their direct heirs, with provisions for equitably resolving cases involving multiple descendants.

The bill provides procedural safeguards including a 60-day window to appeal denied claims, mandatory Office response within 120 days, and the right to judicial review of all determinations. Notably, challenges to takings or compensation amounts would not be subject to statutes of limitation. The legislation also exempts the Bureau from restrictions on employing in-house counsel to handle these cases. All provisions would take effect only upon establishment of the Bureau through separate legislation and appropriation of necessary funds by the Legislature.