>> Evanston in 2021, became the first city in the U.S. to implement a reparations program for black residents.

While Illinois has a commission to study reparations, another proposed state law sets Illinois on a path to something similar.

and joins us now with more.

Amanda, U.S., Brenda State Representative Sonia Harbor is the sponsor of what she calls the enslavement era disclosure and redress act.

It's a way she says for companies that profited from slavery to help repair the legacy of harm.

It's cause for generations of black Americans.

Black Americans.

We have waited so long.

>> We have waited so long in vain for our communities to be may hold after hundreds of years of repression pressure on so many levels we've waited long enough.

>> what exactly would the bill do?

It would require companies that want to do business with the slaves state that participate in either slave holding or the slave trade to say so the it whether they transported enslaved people on trains provided loans for the purchase of enslaved people or otherwise profited.

They would have to file this information with the state when submitting a bid for a state contract as part of the companies would also have to provide a statement.

A financial redress.

In other words, the amount of money they're committing pay.

The bill says that it is a way for corporations to take responsibility for past actions.

And 2 demonstrate their commitment to fostering a more just and equitable society.

Backers say people, companies and governments got rich because of slavery.

Meanwhile, when slavery was abolished in 18, 65 enslaved, people were left with next to nothing and they're still trying to catch up.

>> You're not giving us a handout.

You're giving us what it deserved to those who are descendants of the enslaved and no policy that we pass in this building will never close the economic gap that went on for 400 years.

We will not close the educational gap that went on for 150 years before we even got access to education.

Amanda, how much companies have to pay.

>> That's not explicitly spelled out in the bill.

It's among the various details that have yet to be worked out.

But that money would be put into a special state fund used not for reparations, but for projects and economically depressed areas that were hurt by redlining or Jim Crow era policies.

So when one of the bill's chances, Amanda, that is hard to tell us really early in the legislative session.

But yes, it is going to get some pushback.

I did try to reach out to some likely opponents to not have any luck.

That includes Judicial Watch an organization behind the lawsuit arguing that has instance program is unconstitutional based on equal protection grounds, creating a slavery era disclosure Bill, however, is a lot by law.

That is one of the missions of the state reparations commission that was created in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

That commission has been on a statewide listening tour and it's next.

Stop is coming to the Chicago area.

It will be holding a listening tour hearing residents welcome to give their input in Evanston a week from Saturday.

That's