House Resolution 29 PAG LIN 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY FORD and HANSEN 1 3 A Resolution urging the Commissioner of Insurance to 1 4 solicit slaveholder insurance policy records from the 1 5 archives of Iowa=licensed insurance companies. 1 6 WHEREAS, it is estimated that 8 million men and 1 7 women were enslaved in what is now the United States 1 8 of America during the period from 1619 to 1865, and as 1 9 many as 35 million American citizens are descended 1 10 from those former slaves; and 1 11 WHEREAS, in other jurisdictions where insurance 1 12 companies have searched their archives and those of 1 13 predecessor firms, insurance policy records from the 1 14 slavery era have been discovered documenting insurance 1 15 coverage issued to slaveholders for damage to or death 1 16 of a slave; and 1 17 WHEREAS, the insurance documents often contain 1 18 information of historical and genealogical interest to 1 19 historians and descendants of slaves, including the 1 20 names of insured slaveholders and the names of slaves 1 21 covered in the insurance policies; and 1 22 WHEREAS, details contained in these insurance 1 23 documents regarding insurance premiums and terms and 1 24 conditions of coverage provide a unique historical 1 25 insight into the economics of the former slave 1 26 economy; and 1 27 WHEREAS, while most insurers currently doing 1 28 business in Iowa were incorporated after the end of 1 29 the slavery era, there may be some insurance companies 1 30 whose archives contain useful information about 2 1 slaveholder insurance policies issued by a predecessor 2 2 corporation; NOW THEREFORE, 2 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 4 That the House of Representatives urges the 2 5 Commissioner of Insurance to seek information from the 2 6 archives of insurance companies licensed to do 2 7 business in this state, including subsidiaries of 2 8 international insurance corporations, regarding 2 9 records of any insurance policies issued by an 2 10 insurance company or a predecessor company during the 2 11 slavery era providing coverage to a slaveholder for 2 12 damage to or death of a slave, including the names of 2 13 any such slaves and slaveholders contained in those 2 14 records; and 2 15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is the intent of 2 16 the House of Representatives to rely on the voluntary 2 17 cooperation and good example of insurers licensed to 2 18 do business in this state; therefore, the Commissioner 2 19 of Insurance is asked to seek the slaveholder 2 20 insurance policy information from such insurers by 2 21 request; and 2 22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Commissioner of 2 23 Insurance is requested to report the Commissioner's 2 24 findings to the General Assembly by December 1, 2004; 2 25 and 2 26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the 2 27 House of Representatives shall forward a copy of this 2 28 resolution to the Commissioner of Insurance. 2 29 LSB 3236HH 80 2 30 dea/cf/24