2023 -- H 5763

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LC001833

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT

ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Kislak, Henries, Alzate, Stewart, Hull, Morales, Cotter,
Sanchez, Felix, and Speakman

     Date Introduced: February 21, 2023

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 165

EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT ACT

     42-165-1. Short title.

     This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Equity Impact Statement Act."

     42-165-2. Findings.

     The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:

     (1) Persistent, widespread and unacceptable disparities exist in Rhode Island for

individuals and families as a result of structural inequities and past discrimination.

     (2) Rhode Island has passed legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color,

ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country

of ancestral origin, including in employment and housing matters.

     (3) Past legislation in Rhode Island has been implemented without attention to equity.

Some of this legislation has had disparate impacts on some of our communities. It is therefore the

desire of the general assembly to address the impacts of our legislation moving forward, and to do

so with attention to equity and the impact our legislation will have on our diverse and various

communities.

     (4) Discrimination and inequities based on these protected classifications is inconsistent

with the protections outlined in the state constitution as well as in Rhode Island legislation. These

inequities affect the quality of life, access to services, access to safe and affordable housing, access

to capital as well as educational and economic attainment for some Rhode Island populations

differently than for others.

     (5) While awareness is not enough to reverse long-standing structural factors that cause

these disparities, it must be the starting point.

     (6) Beginning in 2007, some states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, began

implementing racial impact statements to address racial disparities in their criminal justice systems.

In 2019, Maine created a permanent commission to address historic and pervasive racial inequity

in legislation. This act aims to build on that foundation here in Rhode Island, proposing the

inclusion of a new legislative tool, a broad equity impact statement accounting for race, color,

ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country

of ancestral origin.

     (7) As there has historically been no process to guide analysis of equity impacts as

legislation is considered in the Rhode Island general assembly, this act will add the expectation of

an equity impact statement in the legislative process for the purpose of contributing to the

development of sound and fair policy. Equity impact statements will serve as a tool to inform

legislators of potential consequences of policies that may have a disproportionate impact on

historically disadvantaged populations prior to enacting new legislation, thus assuring that the

general assembly takes each opportunity available to increase equity and decrease disparities.

     42-165-3. Equity impact statements.

     (a) An equity impact statement shall be a simple and understandable statement

demonstrating that the bill sponsor has taken into account the impact, positive or negative, that the

legislation will likely have on Rhode Islanders based on their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex,

sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age or country of ancestral origin.

     The sponsor of legislations shall ensure that bills are submitted with an equity impact

statement which shall be appended to the bill summary and contain:

     (1) A description of the way in which the legislation will or will not impact different

populations differently based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex sexual orientation, gender

expression, disability, age or country of ancestral origin; and

     (2) A reference to historic disparities and existing efforts to address the historic disparities.

     (b) The equity impact statement requirement may be met with a statement that there are no

discernable impacts based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity

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or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin, if applicable.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT

ACT

***

     This act would create the "equity impact statement act", requiring that all legislation

submitted in the general assembly include an equity impact statement to address what impact the

legislation will have on Rhode Island residents based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual

orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age or country of ancestral origin.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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