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5/1/2025
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Rep. Morales hosts event in support of equity impact legislation
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 STATE HOUSE — Rep. David Morales joined advocates and supporters, including the Economic Progress Institute, the Immigrant Coalition of Rhode Island, the Womxn Project and the Commission on Health Advocacy and Equity, to support legislation to establish the use of equity impact statements in the Rhode Island General Assembly and the governor’s annual proposed budget Wednesday.
“Every legislative document that is introduced, from a resolution to a bill to a budget article, is, in fact, a moral document,” said Rep. David Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). “It is a moral document that reflects the values of a legislator and the changes that they seek to make in our community. And while we have processes and mechanisms in place to measure a bill’s impact on the state budget — otherwise known as fiscal notes — it has become increasingly clear over the years that there is a pressing need to evaluate legislation through the lens of equity, especially for Rhode Island’s working people and families.”
Equity impact statements are no-cost tools, like fiscal notes, which use data to measure how legislation could affect historical imbalances and other disparities in Rhode Island law and society. Assessing race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability and other factors, equity impact statements seek to help legislators determine whether bills that they are considering will likely increase or decrease equity.
The bill (2025-H 6287) would establish a pilot program beginning in January 2026 and ending in December 2028, during which time the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (RIBLIA) Caucus could request equity impact statements for up to five bills in the House and five in the Senate per session. Both the House Speaker and the Senate President would also be allowed to request equity impact statements on up to five bills each per session in their respective chambers.
The equity impact statements would be completed by the Rhode Island Commission on Health Advocacy and Equity, which was established by the General Assembly in 2011. The commission would issue a report on the effectiveness of the pilot program when it concludes, along with recommendations on how to enable legislators to avoid creating or continuing disparities within communities when enacting legislation.
The bill would also incorporate equity impact statements into the governor’s annual proposed budget.
Sen. Tiara T. Mack (D-Dist. 6, Providence) has introduced similar legislation (2025-S 0805) in the Senate, which she will amend to match the current version sponsored by Representative Morales in the House.
Representative Morales introduced a similar resolution earlier in the year to amend the House rules for the 2025 and 2026 sessions that was not adopted.
EPI began the event with a presentation on the state of equity in Rhode Island and an equity review of the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. EPI believes that equity impact statements would improve transparency by showing the public how decisions are likely to affect them, which would strengthen the democratic process, empower communities and raise awareness of existing disparities, spurring more comprehensive discussions about how everyone should have the same chance to succeed in Rhode Island.
“As is the case nationally, income inequality and wealth inequality are high in Rhode Island, and this is reflected in the proposed FY 2026 budget, which leaves RIPTA with a $33 million shortfall, doesn’t address the critical shortage in the health care workforce, or offer specifics on building a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable state for all,” said Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, executive director of the Economic Progress Institute. “Equity impact statements are a way to rebalance a system that’s badly out of balance — and to begin to honestly assess the disparities that exist in wealth, education, employment, housing, mobility, health, rates of incarceration, and other metrics across our society.”
If the legislation is enacted, Rhode Island would join a growing number of states to implement equity evaluations. Nine states — Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia — have passed legislation to use impact statements to assess equity.
IN PHOTO: Rep. David Morales speaks Wednesday.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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