Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday if elected president he would sign a bill creating a commission to study the issue of reparations for slavery, joining many of his fellow White House hopefuls after being cautious about the issue.

Sanders, one of more than a dozen declared candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, told the Rev. Al Sharpton at a conference in New York, “If the House and Senate pass that bill, of course I would sign it.”

Legislation by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee calls for setting up a panel to study reparations. Sanders in recent weeks has expressed skepticism about payments to descendants of slaves.

“I think that right now our job is to address the crises facing the American people and our communities, and I think there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check,” he said in March on ABC’s “The View.”

Sanders’ support of Jackson Lee’s bill was the latest boost for the legislation from the Democratic field.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey are among those backing it, as is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is also a co-sponsor.

Sen. Kamala Harris of California told Sharpton at the same conference on Friday that “when I am elected president, I will sign that bill.” Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro — Jackson Lee’s fellow Texans — also say they support the legislation.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to enter the race this month. His past comments on reparations may get new scrutiny as he seeks the party’s nomination. In the mid-1970s he said “I’ll be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago.”