Chief Patron: Reid
Extralegal Punishment Historical Marker Workgroup (language only)

Item 6 #4h

Language

Page 9, after line 42, insert:

"R. There is hereby established an Extralegal Punishment Historical Marker Workgroup. This statewide workgroup shall conduct research on the historical extralegal punishment of lynching perpetuated against residents of Virginia from 1607 through present day; identify the geographic locations where extralegal punishment occurred using existing websites, historical newspaper reports, academic studies, and other reputable sources; determine the process for placing a historical marker at or, as near as possible, to the actual location where the extralegal punishment occurred; obtain agreement from localities for the placement of the historical marker or identify the closest state property for the historical marker, with a latitude and longitude reference to the actual location; draft the historical message to be displayed on each historical marker; and present the findings, with legislative and budget recommendations, to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Counties, Cities, and Towns Committee; Senate Local Government Committee; House Appropriations Committee; and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee by November 1, 2023. The workgroup membership shall include a representative from the Department of Historical Resources, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Education, a history professor from a Virginia Historically Black College or University, the NAACP State Organization, a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, a member from Governor's African American Advisory Board, a majority and minority party Delegate from the Counties, Cities, and Towns Committee, a majority and minority party Senator from the Local Government Committee, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Municipal League, and two representatives from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The workgroup shall be chaired by a legislator, selected by the workgroup membership."