The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) today welcomed Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 2599, also known as The Truth in Disclosure Act, which requires certain large companies that contract with or operate in the state of California to disclose whether their company or related entities owned, sold, or otherwise participated in enslavement-related transactions.
SEE: Gov. Signs Bill Requiring Corporations Disclose Slavery Profits
Authored by Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan and supported by CAIR-CA, AB 2599 requires qualifying businesses or enterprises with more than $100 million in annual worldwide gross receipts—and was in existence or whose predecessor company was in existence on or before Dec. 31, 1964—to submit affidavits verifying that it has searched its records for evidence that it engage or profited from enslavement-related transactions. These transactions include the buying or selling of enslaved people, using enslaved people as collateral, financing or insuring such transactions, or providing other services to aid or facilitate them.
AB 2599 also requires making relevant records and disclosures publicly available through a digital platform established by the state’s Civil Rights Department.
The bill builds on the work of the California Reparations Task Force, which began the historical process of identifying harm at the state level, and is a key priority for the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation and Truth. Since then, this research has expanded through local commissions who are also identifying the role local governments played in slavery, as well as subsequent racial violence and discrimination.
In 2024, Governor Newsom signed AB 3089, which formally apologized for the state’s role in chattel slavery. In 2025, he signed Senate Bill 518, representing a historic step toward addressing the historical injustices and systemic discrimination faced by the descendants of enslaved people in the state of California.
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“We welcome Governor Newsom’s signing of AB 2599 as an important step toward acknowledging California’s economic contributions to chattel slavery. Corporations have a moral and ethical responsibility to conduct business practices in alignment with human rights and to confront the full scope of their operating history, including profiting from the suffering, exploitation, and dehumanization of enslaved people.
“California has long been a state that prides itself on justice and equity, and AB 2599 moves the needle closer to the transparency that is necessary to recognize and rectify these historical injustices and understand the roots of modern economic disparities. We commend Assemblymember Bryan, the community organizations, and advocates who fought to advance this historic legislation.”
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or [email protected]; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Senior Operations & Development Manager Elle Dunlap, [email protected]; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, (760) 201-7626 or [email protected]; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, (408) 498-5779 or [email protected]