AB 2599
The Truth in Disclosure Act
A historic step in California’s commitment to reparations — because truth is foundational to repair.
What is AB 2599
AB 2599, the Truth in Disclosure Act, is a corporate transparency measure rooted in a simple principle: we cannot repair what we refuse to fully confront.
The bill requires qualifying corporations doing business in California to examine and disclose specified historical ties to slavery and slavery-era economic activity. It is an important step in California’s reparations journey—creating a clearer public record of how slavery shaped institutions, industries and wealth that continue to exist today.
Why AB 2599 Matters
The wealth created through slavery continues to flow through businesses, financial institutions and industries, while generations of Black Americans continue to experience the consequences of exclusion and exploitation.
By creating greater transparency around corporate ties to slavery, the bill gives communities, policymakers and the public information necessary to better understand who benefited, how those benefits accumulated and why repair remains necessary today.
How AB 2599 Works
The Truth in Disclosure Act expands corporate transparency by requiring companies that do business in the state to disclose their historical ties to slavery.
It mandates the submission of affidavits under penalty of perjury that detail whether companies or their related entities were involved in slavery-related transactions.
The bill also calls for the creation of a public digital platform to house these disclosures and associated data.
The Case for AB 2599
The Problem
What We Don’t Know Matters
California cannot fully confront the legacy of slavery without a clear accounting of the institutions and industries that benefited from it.
Today, information about corporate connections to slavery is fragmented, inconsistent, and often difficult for the public to access. Existing disclosure efforts have not created a comprehensive, uniform standard for identifying and reporting these historical ties.
That leaves a significant gap in our understanding of how wealth generated through enslavement moved through corporations and industries—and how those economic benefits helped shape institutions that continue to operate today.
AB 2599 addresses that gap by bringing information out of scattered records and into the public record.
Understanding the Need for Legacy Accountability
History Has a Present-Day Impact
Legacy accountability is about recognizing that institutions can inherit benefits just as communities can inherit harms.
The economic impact of slavery did not end with emancipation. Wealth, property, business interests and institutional advantages accumulated over generations, while Black communities continued to experience barriers to wealth-building, housing, education, employment and economic opportunity.
California’s Reparations Task Force called for greater examination and disclosure of these historical connections as part of the state’s broader effort to understand and address the continuing effects of slavery and racial discrimination.
AB 2599 advances that work by asking corporations to do something fundamental: examine their own history and disclose what they find.
Transparency gives Californians a stronger factual foundation for conversations about accountability, reconciliation and repair.
The Solution
Establish a Clear Standard for Disclosure
AB 2599 creates a standardized process for qualifying corporations doing business in California to investigate and disclose specified historical ties to slavery.
Covered corporations would conduct due diligence into relevant historical records and report qualifying slavery-related transactions involving the corporation or related entities. Required disclosures would be submitted under penalty of perjury and ultimately made available to the public through a centralized digital platform.
This creates a more consistent standard across corporations and makes information easier for communities, researchers and policymakers to access and understand.
Stay Informed on AB 2599
Follow the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth on Instagram at @reparationstruth, or visit alliancefor.org for updates, actions, and ways to get involved.
Sponsors & Endorsers
Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth — Lead Sponsor
- California Black Power Network
- Black Equity Collective
- Equal Justice Society
- Black Californians United for Early Care and Education
- Community Coalition
- Southern California Black Worker Hub
- Campaign for Justice: Redress NOW for Japanese Latin Americans
- Reparation Education Project
- Starting Over Inc.
- California Calls
- LA Voice
- Black Alliance for Just Immigration
- Nikkei Progressives
- Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR)
- San Francisco Black Wall Street
- Starting Over Strong
- Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE)
- The Taifa Group
- FIERCE Advocates
- Manzanar Committee
- Concrete Development Inc
- The Community Action League
- Fund For Reparations NOW
- Inland Empire Black Worker Center
- Los Angeles Black Worker Center
- Priority Africa Network
- Pillars of the Community
- Voice of the Youth
- BLU Educational Foundation
- African Communities Public Health Coalition
- Social Justice Learning Institute
- Black Jewish Justice Alliance
- PICO California
- Community Interventions
- The Psychology Applied Research Center at LMU
- Imoyase Community Support Services
- Tsuru for Solidarity
- Japanese American Citizens League
- Japanese American Citizens League, San Jose Chapter
- Power California Action
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AB 2599?
AB 2599 — The Truth in Disclosure Act — is California legislation that would require corporations doing business in the state to submit sworn affidavits disclosing whether they, or their predecessor companies, engaged in or profited from slavery or slavery-related economic activity. False statements are subject to criminal penalties of perjury.
What exactly would corporations have to disclose?
Qualifying corporations would submit a sworn affidavit stating whether they or any related or predecessor entities engaged in or profited from slavery-era transactions, including human trafficking. The affidavit must be accurate — false statements are punishable as perjury.
Why does this matter if slavery ended over 150 years ago?
Because the wealth generated by slavery did not end with emancipation. Profits from enslaved labor were reinvested, compounded, and passed down through predecessor entities that are still operating today. AB 2599 is not about the past — it is about economic reality in the present.
How does this bill relate to reparations?
AB 2599 is not a reparations bill. It is a transparency bill. However, it builds the factual foundation that reparations advocates, researchers, and policymakers need. Communities cannot repair what they cannot see. Disclosure is the first step.
Does this bill only address historical slavery, or does it include human trafficking?
Both. AB 2599 covers slavery and slavery-related economic activity, which includes human trafficking. Trafficking is modern slavery — it treats human beings as property for profit. The bill’s scope reflects the continuity between historical enslavement and exploitation that continues today.
Why does this past harm still matter?
Without truth and transparency, efforts toward repair risk being incomplete or symbolic. Reparations require infrastructure. AB 2599 is part of a broader framework to operationalize reparations. It builds the foundation needed for long-term, sustainable policy solutions. California has already acknowledged the need for reparations—now is the time to implement policies that support that commitment.
Is this bill constitutional?
Yes. California has broad authority to regulate corporations doing business within its borders, and corporate disclosure requirements are well established in law. AB 2599 follows the same constitutional footing as climate risk disclosures, supply chain labor reporting, and pay equity transparency requirements already on the books.
Why is it important to support AB 2599 now?
Justice requires action, not delay. This is an opportunity to affirm that the state is prepared to take meaningful steps forward. Advancing AB 2599 signals a commitment to repair the past while protecting the future, allowing the state to move from acknowledgment to action.
What’s next for The Truth & Disclosure Act (AB 2599)?
Following the Judiciary Committee Hearing, the bill is advancing through the legislative process, including the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The Truth in Disclosure Act is a vital component of establishing impactful, transformative, and long-lasting reparations for Black Californians, signaling a crucial shift from acknowledgment to action.