Take Action

Find my lawmaker

Find everyone who represents you — in Congress, your statehouse and city hall — then tell them, in writing, that the debt is past due.

3 levels of government3 caucuses3 ready scripts

First, find the bill number

Every script below asks for one. Here's where to get it.

1.Start with our tracker
Every active federal and state reparations bill we follow is listed with its number and status.
Open the Legislation Tracker →
2.Federal bills: Congress.gov
Search "reparations" and filter by the current Congress. House bills start with H.R., Senate bills with S. (the commission bill is H.R. 40).
Search Congress.gov ↗
3.State bills: your legislature's site
Search "reparations" on Open States or your state legislature's bill search. California numbers start with AB (Assembly) or SB (Senate).
Search Open States ↗
4.California: Leginfo
California's official bill search shows text, votes and the next hearing date for each AB or SB.
Search Leginfo ↗
5.Check it's current
Bill numbers reset each session. Confirm the session year and that the status isn't "dead" or "chaptered" before you call.
6.Still unsure? Ask
Call the lawmaker's office and ask: "What reparations bills is the member supporting this session?" Staff will give you the number.

Find everyone who represents you

You have at least two federal senators, one House member, two state lawmakers and local officials.

Federal

H.R. 40 and federal lineage measures

U.S. House — find your representative ↗
Enter your ZIP code
U.S. Senate — contact your senators ↗
Pick your state; you have two

State

Where most reparations bills are moving

Open States — every state legislature ↗
Address lookup for all 50 states
California — Find Your Rep ↗
Your Assemblymember and State Senator

Local

City and county reparations commissions

USA.gov — local elected officials ↗
Mayor, city council, county board
Look up your county's records →
Bring local receipts to local officials

The Black Caucus and the committees that decide

Most reparations bills don't fail on the floor. They stall in committee.

Congressional Black Caucus ↗

Federal reparations legislation, including H.R. 40

California Legislative Black Caucus ↗

Carries and amends California's reparations bills

National Black Caucus of State Legislators ↗

Black state legislators in every state

Where bills actually stall

Judiciary: Decides whether a commission or compensation bill is legally sound. Bills often die here without a hearing.
Appropriations: Any bill that spends money passes through it. In California, cash bills can quietly die on the 'suspense file.'
Rules / leadership: Controls which bills reach the floor. A bill can pass committee and still never get a vote.
Ways & Means / Budget: Writes the budget. Budget season is when caucus votes have the most leverage.

Not in the chair's district? You can still submit a written comment for the hearing record — look for "position letters" or "public comment" on the committee's page.

Your constituent action kit

Fill in the blanks, copy, and send. Staff count every contact.

30-second phone script

Hi, my name is ___ and I'm a constituent in ___ (city / ZIP).

I'm a descendant of people enslaved in the United States. I'm calling to ask [lawmaker] to co-sponsor and vote YES on [bill number], and to press leadership for a floor vote this session.

Can you tell me where [lawmaker] stands? I'd like that answer in writing. Thank you.

Email / letter

Dear [Representative / Senator / Councilmember] [Name],

I am a constituent in [district / city] and a descendant of people enslaved in the United States. I am writing to ask you to support and vote YES on [bill number].

Reparations is not a social program or a charitable grant. It is a debt owed for 246 years of unpaid labor and the century of Jim Crow, lynching, land theft and redlining that followed. My family's line traces to [state / county, if known].

I ask that you:
1. Co-sponsor [bill number] and publicly state your support.
2. Ask leadership to bring it to a committee hearing and a floor vote this session.
3. Support eligibility based on lineage to people enslaved in the United States, and direct compensation to eligible descendants.

Please reply in writing with your position.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address / ZIP]

Town hall question

Will you co-sponsor [bill number] and vote YES on direct reparations for descendants of people enslaved in the United States — yes or no?

When staff push back

Four answers to the deflections you'll hear most.

01It's a debt, not charity

Reparations repays an inheritance that was taken. It is not welfare, diversity spending or a general anti-poverty program.

02Lineage defines who is owed

Eligibility should rest on ancestry traced to people enslaved in the U.S., such as through the 1870 census, so the remedy reaches the people harmed.

03Grants are not compensation

Community grants and loan programs can help, but they do not replace direct payments to eligible descendants.

04The country has paid before

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 paid $20,000 to each surviving Japanese American who was interned. Restitution for government harm is settled precedent.

When to call

A typical state session (California shown). Pressure matters most before deadlines.

January–FebruaryBills introducedAsk your lawmaker to author or co-sponsor
SpringPolicy committee hearingsSubmit written comments; call committee members
MayFiscal 'suspense' hearings (CA)Call Appropriations members — this is where cash bills stall
JuneBudget deadlinePeak leverage: caucus votes are traded for priorities
AugustFinal floor votesCall for a YES vote and track the roll call
September–OctoberGovernor signs or vetoesCall the governor's office

Get the bill number → Legislation Tracker The strategy → Black Caucus Playbook Go as a group → Start a Local Group

Civic action dispatch

Now act on it

A debt documented is not yet a debt collected. See it, prove it, force it.

Priority action · 30 seconds

Call your state lawmaker today

Copy the script, then find your representative's number on the community page.

Find my lawmaker →