Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6287 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 6287
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7	7	LC002657
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- THE EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT AND
16	16	BUDGET EQUITY IMPACT ACT
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Felix, and Batista
18	18	Date Introduced: April 30, 2025
19	19	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Legislative findings and purpose. 1
24	24	(1) Persistent, widespread, and unacceptable disparities exist in Rhode Island for 2
25	25	individuals and families due to structural inequities and past discrimination. Such disparities 3
26	26	include the racial wealth gap, the gender pay gap, and incarceration policies that have 4
27	27	disproportionately impacted communities of color. 5
28	28	(2) Rhode Island has already enacted legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, 6
29	29	color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or 7
30	30	country of ancestral origin, including in employment and housing matters. 8
31	31	(3) Discrimination and inequities based on these classifications is inconsistent with the 9
32	32	protections outlined in the State constitution and Rhode Island legislation. These inequities affect 10
33	33	the quality of life, access to services, access to safe and affordable housing, and access to capital, 11
34	34	as well as educational and economic attainment for some Rhode Island populations differently than 12
35	35	for others. 13
36	36	(4) For the most part, legislation in Rhode Island has been implemented without attention 14
37	37	to disparities and equity. Some of this legislation has had disparate impacts on some of our 15
38	38	communities. Because some legislation might have unanticipated negative impacts, it is important 16
39	39	that legislators, when hearing and considering proposed legislation, have tools to understand the 17
40	40	likely effects of such legislation on existing disparities. 18
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44	44	(5) Equity Impact Statements can serve as a tool to inform legislators of potential 1
45	45	consequences of policies that may have a disproportionate impact on historically disadvantaged 2
46	46	populations prior to enacting new legislation, thus assuring that the general assembly takes each 3
47	47	opportunity available to increase equity and decrease disparities. 4
48	48	(6) Beginning in 2007, some states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, began 5
49	49	implementing racial impact statements to address racial disparities in their criminal justice systems. 6
50	50	In 2019, Maine created a permanent commission to address historic and pervasive racial inequity 7
51	51	in legislation. This act aims to build on that foundation here in Rhode Island, proposing the 8
52	52	inclusion of a new legislative tool, a broad Equity Impact Statement accounting for race, color, 9
53	53	ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country 10
54	54	of ancestral origin. 11
55	55	(7) It is therefore the desire of the General Assembly to address the impacts of our 12
56	56	legislation moving forward, and to do so with attention to equity and the impact our legislation will 13
57	57	have on our diverse and varied communities. This chapter aims to add equity impact statements 14
58	58	into the legislative process to contribute to the development of sound and fair policies. 15
59	59	SECTION 2. Title 22 of the General Laws entitled "GENERAL ASSEMBLY" is hereby 16
60	60	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 17
61	61	CHAPTER 20 18
62	62	THE EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT AND BUDGET EQUITY IMPACT ACT 19
63	63	22-20-1. Short title. 20
64	64	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Equity Impact Statement and Budget 21
65	65	Equity Impact Act". 22
66	66	22-20-2. Definitions. 23
67	67	As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings: 24
68	68	(1) “Disparities” means economic, employment, health, education, public safety, and other 25
69	69	differences between the state population as a whole and subgroups of the population as defined by 26
70	70	race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, 27
71	71	and/or country of ancestral origin. 28
72	72	(2) “Equity” means providing access and opportunities for all Rhode Island residents by 29
73	73	ensuring that policies, programs, and the state budget correct historic disparities. 30
74	74	(3) “Equity impact statement” means documents intended to help legislators evaluate 31
75	75	whether a public bill is likely to increase equity, decrease equity, or have no impact on equity, with 32
76	76	equity considered in terms of one or more of the following categories: race, color, ethnicity, 33
77	77	religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, and/or country of 34
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81	81	ancestral origin. 1
82	82	(4) “State agency” means a state department, agency, office, or board of the state or any 2
83	83	agency, office, or board of a quasi-public agency of the state. 3
84	84	22-20-3. Pilot study of equity impact statements. 4
85	85	(a) During the pilot study, beginning with the January 2026 general assembly session and 5
86	86	ending in December 2028, equity impact statements may be requested for up to twenty (20) pieces 6
87	87	of proposed legislation: 7
88	88	(1) The speaker of the house may request equity impact statements for up to five (5) pieces 8
89	89	of proposed legislation in the house; 9
90	90	(2) The president of the senate may request equity impact assessment statements for up to 10
91	91	five (5) pieces of proposed legislation in the senate; and 11
92	92	(3) The Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander 12
93	93	Caucus (RIBLIA) may request equity impact statements for up to five (5) pieces of proposed 13
94	94	legislation in the house and up to five (5) pieces of proposed legislation in the senate. 14
95	95	(b) The request for an equity impact statement shall identify which one or more of the 15
96	96	following categories should be considered: race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, 16
97	97	gender identity or expression, disability, age, and/or country of ancestral origin. 17
98	98	22-20-4. Responsibility to complete equity impact statements. 18
99	99	(a) Requests for equity impact statements shall be sent to the commission on health 19
100	100	advocacy & equity (CHAE). The CHAE shall coordinate with whichever state agency or agencies 20
101	101	possess subject matter expertise proposed legislation. The CHAE shall be responsible for 21
102	102	completing equity impact statements. 22
103	103	(b) At the request of the CHAE, all state agencies shall furnish such advice and information, 23
104	104	documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable 24
105	105	by the CHAE to facilitate the purposes of this section. 25
106	106	(c) The CHAE assigned to complete an equity impact statement may seek expertise or 26
107	107	assistance from to provide information or otherwise help produce equity impact statements. 27
108	108	(d) The legislative council shall coordinate with the CHAE and oversee the formatting of 28
109	109	equity impact statements and attach statements to the corresponding bills. 29
110	110	(e) Equity impact statements shall be made available to the public at the time that bills are 30
111	111	posted for hearing in committees to ensure that the public and legislators have the information 31
112	112	available in advance to inform testimony and hearings. 32
113	113	(f) Equity impact statements shall be deemed public records under the provisions of chapter 33
114	114	2 of title 38 (“access to public records”). 34
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118	118	22-20-5. Content of Equity Impact Statements. 1
119	119	(a) Where possible, equity impact statements shall include data as to historical and/or 2
120	120	existing disparities and as to likely demographic impacts of proposed legislation; Such data could 3
121	121	include, for example, differential healthcare outcomes, graduation rates, incarceration rates, or 4
122	122	siting of pollution-producing businesses. 5
123	123	(b) Where possible, equity impact statements must include data as to historical and/or 6
124	124	existing economic disparities and as to likely fiscal and/or economic impacts of proposed 7
125	125	legislation; such data could include, for example, differential support for minority-owned 8
126	126	businesses or for businesses owned by individuals with disabilities. 9
127	127	(c) For any particular protected category, the statement should include a conclusion as to 10
128	128	whether the proposed legislation is likely to increase equity, likely to decrease equity, or likely to 11
129	129	have no effect on equity. 12
130	130	22-20-6. Responsibility to complete pilot study of equity impact statements. 13
131	131	The CHAE shall be empowered to: 14
132	132	(1) Oversee a pilot study of equity impact statements as established in § 22-20-3. 15
133	133	(2) Conduct an evaluation of the pilot study of equity impact statements including, but not 16
134	134	limited to, a survey or other method of assessing the extent to which legislators took equity and 17
135	135	disparities into account prior to the pilot study and took equity and disparities into account 18
136	136	following the pilot study. 19
137	137	(3) Have the authority to conduct hearings and interviews and receive testimony regarding 20
138	138	matters pertinent to its purpose. 21
139	139	(4) Issue a report with recommendations to speaker of the house, the president of the senate, 22
140	140	and the general assembly as to which processes and tools would enable policymakers to avoid 23
141	141	creating or continuing, even unintentionally, disparities resulting from enacted legislation. 24
142	142	SECTION 3. Sections 35-3-3 and 35-3-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-3 entitled 25
143	143	"State Budget" are hereby amended to read as follows: 26
144	144	35-3-3. Responsibility of budget officer for budget. 27
145	145	(a) The budget officer shall, under the supervision of the governor, prepare the annual state 28
146	146	budget, assembling, correlating, and revising the estimates of revenues and requests for 29
147	147	appropriations of the various departments of the state government. 30
148	148	(b) The budget officer shall, under the supervision of the governor, include in the annual 31
149	149	state budget an explanation of the manner in which provisions of the budget further the governor's 32
150	150	efforts to ensure equity in the state. For purposes of this section, "equity" means efforts, regulations, 33
151	151	policies, programs, standards, processes and any other functions of government or principles of law 34
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155	155	and governance intended to: identify and remedy past and present patterns of discrimination or 1
156	156	inequality against and disparities in outcome for any class protected in §28-5-7(1)(i); ensure that 2
157	157	such patterns of discrimination, inequality and disparities in outcome, whether intentional or 3
158	158	unintentional, are neither reinforced nor perpetuated; and prevent the emergence and persistence of 4
159	159	foreseeable future patterns of discrimination against, or disparities in, outcome for any class 5
160	160	protected in § 28-5-7(1)(i). 6
161	161	35-3-4. Estimates submitted by department heads. 7
162	162	(a) On dates determined by the budget officer, but not later than the first day of October in 8
163	163	each year, each head of a department of the state government, not including the general assembly 9
164	164	or the judiciary, shall assemble, correlate, and revise, with power to increase or decrease, the 10
165	165	estimates for expenditures and requests for appropriations for the next ensuing fiscal year of each 11
166	166	of the divisions, boards, commissions, officers, bureaus, institutions, or agencies of the state 12
167	167	included within his or her department, and, after this revision, shall prepare an itemized 13
168	168	departmental estimate of the appropriations necessary to meet the financial needs of the department, 14
169	169	including a statement in detail of all moneys for which any general or special appropriation is 15
170	170	desired at the ensuing session of the general assembly. The estimate shall be in such form, and in 16
171	171	such number of copies, and with such explanation as the budget officer may require, and, on dates 17
172	172	determined by the budget officer, but not later than the first day of October in each year, shall be 18
173	173	submitted to the governor through the budget officer and to the fiscal advisors of the house and 19
174	174	senate. 20
175	175	(b) The estimates shall also include a supplemental presentation of estimates of 21
176	176	expenditures for information resources and information technologies as defined in § 29-8-2 22
177	177	[repealed], regardless of source of financing. The estimate shall include a detailed listing and 23
178	178	explanation of expenses and the source of funds and shall be in such form, and in such number of 24
179	179	copies, and with such explanation as the budget officer may require. Copies shall be provided 25
180	180	directly to the house fiscal advisor, the senate fiscal advisor, and the Rhode Island information 26
181	181	resources management board. 27
182	182	(c) The estimates shall also include a supplemental presentation identifying which 28
183	183	departmental programs and expenditures, ongoing or newly proposed, increase equity. For 29
184	184	purposes of this section, "equity" means efforts, regulations, policies, programs, standards, 30
185	185	processes and any other functions of government or principles of law and governance intended to: 31
186	186	identify and remedy past and present patterns of discrimination or inequality against and disparities 32
187	187	in outcome for any class protected in § 28-5-7(1)(i); ensure that such patterns of discrimination, 33
188	188	inequality and disparities in outcome, whether intentional or unintentional, are neither reinforced 34
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192	192	nor perpetuated; and prevent the emergence and persistence of foreseeable future patterns of 1
193	193	discrimination against or disparities in outcome for any class protected in § 28-5-7(1)(i). 2
194	194	SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 3
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201	201	EXPLANATION
202	202	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
203	203	OF
204	204	A N A C T
205	205	RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- THE EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT AND
206	206	BUDGET EQUITY IMPACT ACT
207	207	***
208	208	This act would require statements as to whether a bill is likely to increase equity, decrease 1
209	209	equity or have no impact on equity to be included on up to twenty (20) pieces of legislation. Five 2
210	210	(5) pieces requested by the speaker, five (5) pieces requested by senate president and five (5) pieces 3
211	211	in each chamber to be requested by the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American 4
212	212	and Pacific Islander Caucus. The act would also require such equity impact statements in the state 5
213	213	budget. 6
214	214	This act would take effect on July 1, 2025. 7
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