Skip to main content
H 8211Public Health

Making an Appropriation of $10,000,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative

This resolution appropriates $10 million to the RI Department of Health to fund and expand the Community Health Worker Initiative statewide.

Held for study
Population
Affected
40
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This joint resolution authorizes a $10,000,000 appropriation from the state treasury for the fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Rhode Island Department of Health's (RIDOH) Community Health Worker (CHW) Initiative. This initiative focuses on training, deploying, and integrating community health workers into public health and clinical teams to advance health equity, emergency preparedness, and chronic disease management.

The appropriated funds are specifically designated to place community health workers at libraries and other community-based organizations to bolster individual and community resilience. The program is mandated to collaborate with various local networks and initiatives, including rural health programs, the Olmstead Plan, Health Equity Zones, and Maternal Health Initiatives.

Furthermore, the funding will be distributed to anchor community-based organizations to hire, employ, and supervise these health workers. It will also support the ongoing development of the community health worker workforce and fund evaluations to ensure the program's long-term sustainability.

For younger readers

This bill gives $10 million to the state's health department to hire more Community Health Workers. These workers will be placed in places like public libraries to help people get the healthcare and support they need. It aims to make communities healthier and better prepared for emergencies.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Community Health Workers (CHWs)Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)Community-based organizationsPublic librariesVulnerable and priority populations in Rhode Island

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Low - This is a standard legislative appropriation of state funds to a state department for public health purposes.

Estimated cost
$10,000,000
Estimated revenue
Not specified

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Directly funds health equity initiatives and targets priority populations disproportionately affected by health crises.
  • Addresses social determinants of health and supports maternal health, rural health, and the Olmstead Plan.
  • Creates jobs and leadership opportunities within community-based organizations.
  • $10 million might be seen as insufficient for long-term sustainability without recurring budget integration.
  • Relies on community-based organizations which may have varying levels of capacity, pay scales, and oversight.
  • Could be viewed as a temporary fix if not permanently codified into the state's annual budget.
For Conservatives
  • Utilizes community-based organizations and libraries rather than purely expanding the state bureaucracy.
  • Aims to improve chronic disease management, which can lower long-term systemic healthcare costs.
  • Includes a requirement to evaluate the program to track effectiveness and support sustainability.
  • Appropriates a significant amount of state taxpayer money ($10 million) outside the standard budget process.
  • Expands public health initiatives rooted in COVID-19 response, which some conservatives may want to scale back.
  • Focuses heavily on 'health equity' and social determinants, which some may view as ideological rather than strictly medical.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) runs a statewide Community Health Worker (CHW) initiative focused on training, deploying, and integrating CHWs into public‑health and clinical teams to advance health equity and resilience. This effort is anchored in a CDC‑funded “Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities” grant awarded to RIDOH in 2021; and

WHEREAS, The CHW trains workers in core competencies, including public‑health basics, pandemic response, emergency preparedness, health‑system navigation, and addressing social determinants of health; and

WHEREAS, The initiative employs trained CHWs to priority populations -- especially communities disproportionately affected by COVID‑19 -- to support outreach, testing, vaccination, care coordination, and chronic‑disease management; and

WHEREAS, The initiative actively promotes health‑equity goals by embedding CHWs within RIDOH’s “Rhode to Equity” (R2E) initiative and by creating leadership opportunities for CHWs (including a dedicated lead‑CHW consultant role statewide); now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. This appropriation shall be used to support a program to place community health workers at libraries or other community-based organizations to support community and individual resilience. The program shall collaborate and coordinate with local communities, community health worker networks and associations, and other Rhode Island CHW initiatives, including rural health, Olmstead Plan, Health Equity Zones, Maternal Health Initiatives, CHW Voices for Leadership and Advocacy, Alliance for CHW employers and shall fund anchor community-based organizations: (1) To hire, employ and supervise CHWs; (2) To develop and support the CHW workforce; and (3) To evaluate the program support sustainability. EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF JOINTRESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $10,000,0 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INITIATIVE *** This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $10,000,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative.