Establishes a two-year pilot program, from January 2027 to December 2028, to incorporate equity impact statements into the legislative process for both the House and Senate chamber.

Rhode Island Equity Impact Statement and Budget Equity Act

This bill would create a two-year trial program, running from January 2027 through December 2028, requiring that certain pieces of legislation considered by the Rhode Island General Assembly include "equity impact statements." These statements would be documents that analyze how a proposed law or budget measure might affect different groups of people differently — for example, based on race, income, gender, disability status, or other characteristics. The goal is to give lawmakers additional information about the potential real-world effects of legislation before they vote on it.

During the pilot period, both the Rhode Island House and Senate would be required to incorporate these equity impact statements into their regular lawmaking process. Essentially, before a qualifying bill moves forward, there would need to be a written assessment explaining whether the proposal could help or harm particular communities in unequal ways. This is intended to make the potential consequences of legislation more visible and transparent to both lawmakers and the public.

This bill would primarily affect how the Rhode Island legislature operates internally, but it could indirectly affect all Rhode Island residents by influencing which laws get passed and how they are shaped. Groups that have historically experienced unequal treatment — such as low-income residents or minority communities — could be most directly impacted, as the statements are designed to highlight effects on such populations. Because it is structured as a two-year pilot program, the legislature would have the opportunity to evaluate whether the process is useful before deciding to make it permanent.