California American Freedmen Affairs Agency.
- Establishes a new state agency to verify and maintain a registry of American Freedmen residents in California.
- Creates a Genealogy Office by July 2027 to verify residents' ancestral connections to people enslaved in the U.S.
- Mandates strict privacy protections for personal data and prohibits sharing information with law enforcement.
- Requires annual legislative oversight hearings and regular performance audits starting January 2029.
Assembly Member Essayli's proposal to establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency would create a new state entity focused on verifying and maintaining records of American Freedmen residents - defined as descendants of individuals emancipated from U.S. chattel slavery by 1865.
The agency would operate under a Governor-appointed, Senate-confirmed Secretary and establish two key offices by July 2027: the American Freedmen Genealogy Office to verify resident status and the Office of Freedmen Legal Affairs to manage legal matters. To qualify as an American Freedman, residents must document at least four direct ancestors who were enslaved in the United States between 1776-1865. The agency would provide no-cost genealogical research services to assist with verification.
The legislation includes specific data protection provisions limiting the sharing of personal information outside the agency except when necessary for its core functions. Interagency data sharing would be restricted to demographic information only. The bill explicitly prohibits the agency from using any resources to participate in law enforcement activities.
The proposal establishes multiple oversight mechanisms, including annual legislative hearings where the Secretary must testify, triennial performance reports beginning in 2029, and comprehensive audits by the State Auditor every five years. The agency's implementation would begin upon receiving legislative appropriation, with key offices required to be operational by mid-2027.
 Bill EssayliR Assemblymember | Bill Author |  Not Contacted |
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
- Establishes a new state agency to verify and maintain a registry of American Freedmen residents in California.
- Creates a Genealogy Office by July 2027 to verify residents' ancestral connections to people enslaved in the U.S.
- Mandates strict privacy protections for personal data and prohibits sharing information with law enforcement.
- Requires annual legislative oversight hearings and regular performance audits starting January 2029.
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
Assembly Member Essayli's proposal to establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency would create a new state entity focused on verifying and maintaining records of American Freedmen residents - defined as descendants of individuals emancipated from U.S. chattel slavery by 1865.
The agency would operate under a Governor-appointed, Senate-confirmed Secretary and establish two key offices by July 2027: the American Freedmen Genealogy Office to verify resident status and the Office of Freedmen Legal Affairs to manage legal matters. To qualify as an American Freedman, residents must document at least four direct ancestors who were enslaved in the United States between 1776-1865. The agency would provide no-cost genealogical research services to assist with verification.
The legislation includes specific data protection provisions limiting the sharing of personal information outside the agency except when necessary for its core functions. Interagency data sharing would be restricted to demographic information only. The bill explicitly prohibits the agency from using any resources to participate in law enforcement activities.
The proposal establishes multiple oversight mechanisms, including annual legislative hearings where the Secretary must testify, triennial performance reports beginning in 2029, and comprehensive audits by the State Auditor every five years. The agency's implementation would begin upon receiving legislative appropriation, with key offices required to be operational by mid-2027.
Bill EssayliR Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |