Racial Equity Impact Assessment Laws
Equity impact assessments (or notes or statements) are a tool being used by increasing numbers of state and local governments to drive more equitable policy decisions. They frequently focus on racial equity impacts and are designed to predict whether proposed policies are likely to create, perpetuate, mitigate, or reduce racial disparities, creating opportunities for public awareness, engagement, and policy improvement.
This interactive map and dataset identifies state laws and recent bills across the 50 states that require REIAs for some or all proposed legislation. It was created through a collaboration between two CARE Partners, the Public Health Law Center and the Network for Public Health Law, with specific thanks to the research team:
- Julie Ralston Aoki – Public Health Law Center
- Sara Rogers – Network for Public Health Law
- Daina Strub Kabitz – Public Health Law Center
Are we missing a REIA law or bill? Have questions for the research team? Please contact us at careconnect@herenow.org.
We designed this map and dataset to be a resource for policymakers, legislative staff, advocates, researchers, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders who seek to support informed, just and equitable policymaking. It was developed for educational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice.
Interactive Map
To review the bills in any given state, hover over a state on the map below.
This dataset and map focus on state laws and bills to apply REIA processes to legislation. It is not a comprehensive list of all governmental REIA policy efforts. For example, it does not include REIA laws or bills that apply REIAs to non-legislative decisions, such as agency rulemaking or budgeting. REIA processes that may be implemented through executive orders, administrative rules, or Tribal, federal, or municipal legislation are also excluded.
Our focus for this dataset is on enacted laws and proposed (but not passed) bills and resolutions. For states where identical bills were proposed in multiple sessions, we highlight only the most recent bill. Each law or bill is analyzed to illuminate how the law or bill addresses key components of REIAs, such as what types of bills they apply to, what office is charged with doing them, how conclusions are presented, and other details.
To learn more about how this dataset was created, view/download our research focus and methodology below.
How to Navigate the Database
The spreadsheet embedded in the window below contains the dataset; there are scroll bars on the left side and bottom of the window that can be used to view the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet has four tabs, with REIA law and bill information organized by state. The first tab has information about current REIA laws; the second tab has information about REIA bills that have been proposed but not enacted; the third tab lists states with no REIA bill activity; and the fourth tab is a Table Key that explains key terms. Readers can also download the spreadsheet by clicking the button under the window below.
Last updated: March 15, 2024
To filter/search by state, year and other characteristics, view/download our entire dataset below.
The Public Health Law Center (PHLC) thanks the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for providing funding support for PHLC’s work. Support for the Network is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.