SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(1) Since its inception, Rhode Island's Equity Zone (RIEZ), formerly known as Health Equity Zone (HEZ) has expanded to fourteen (14) distinct communities, with more than one thousand eight hundred (1,800) individual leaders and three hundred (300) organizations across twenty (20) sectors to advance community transformation that supports all residents, especially those who have been historically underserved.
(2) These Equity Zones have demonstrated impact as follows:
(i) Between 2018-2022, social vulnerability dropped by twenty-one percent (21%) in RIEZ communities, compared to non-RIEZ communities with little to no change (four-tenths of a percent (0.4%) decrease). During this time, RIEZs’ strategic actions improved health status, economic opportunity, and social well-being in their communities.
(ii) People living in RIEZ communities were twice as likely to rely on public insurance than non-RIEZ communities. Yet, the average per-person public insurance costs are significantly lower in RIEZ communities than non-RIEZ communities, resulting in significant public insurance savings over time.
(iii) At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as residents faced challenges accessing food, healthcare, and maintaining employment and housing, social vulnerability rose across all Rhode Island communities. However, the increase in social vulnerability was much lower in RIEZ communities. In non-RIEZ communities, the increase was fourteen percent (14%), compared to only a two percent (2%) increase in RIEZ communities. This demonstrated greater resilience in RIEZ communities, who were better equipped to withstand and overcome the challenges of the pandemic and meet the urgent needs of their residents.
(iv) Findings show that RIEZ communities are linked to decreasing chronic disease over time. Many RIEZ communities are seeing much lower rates of chronic disease than expected, based on their level of social vulnerability. For example, high cholesterol and heart disease in certain RIEZ communities are dropping much faster than the state average.
(3) These Equity Zones elevate community voice to:
(i) Determine which services need to be provided locally by collaborative partners;
(ii) Strengthen relationships between community members and organizations to create a foundation of mutual respect, cultural responsiveness, and humility;
(iii) Advocate for effective and meaningful policy-change;
(iv) Utilize resources effectively to avoid duplication and maximize shared impact; and
(v) Restructure decision-making processes to be more democratic and build civic engagement.
(4) The RIEZ network creates a forum for sharing and collaborating across the entire state.
(5) This model is recognized as a national best practice for addressing upstream social determinants of health.
(6) Resources are not distributed equitably across the state and under-resourced communities suffer; Equity Zones fill this gap.
(7) Funding levels have not kept pace with the needs of communities. State funding for the Equity Zones has declined in recent years, even as the demand for equitable, community-driven solutions has increased. Without sustained investment Rhode Island risks losing the infrastructure that has made RIEZ a national model for addressing systemic inequities.
(8) Equity Zones play a burgeoning role as the state's primary strategy for community transformation, driving health, economic and environmental equity.
(9) While the Rhode Island Department of Health has historically played a central role in the RIEZ initiative, the initiative’s expansion requires a “whole of government” approach that includes other state agencies, such as those focused on housing, economic development, transportation, and workforce initiatives. The RIEZ model must be formally recognized as the state’s primary strategy for equitable community improvement, with the executive office of health and human services coordinating funding, technical assistance, and interagency collaboration to ensure long-term sustainability.
SECTION 2. Chapter 42-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of Health and Human Services" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 42-7.2-21. Equity Zones.
(a) The executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) is hereby directed to convene and support a network of equity zones whereby local multisector collaboratives of nonprofits, service providers, advocates, community members, state agencies, and municipalities can address social determinants of health at a local level.
(b) The EOHHS shall support equity zones to:
(1) Support resident leadership development, civic engagement, and capacity-building efforts to ensure that those most affected by inequities are leading the solutions;
(2) Address root causes of health and economic disparities locally; and
(3) Share lessons learned and best practices between equity zones to deepen collective impact statewide.
(c) To this end, the EOHHS shall:
(1) Collect, track, analyze, and share data that is relevant to the equity zones;
(2) Offer direct assistance to improve the quality, functionality and capacity of equity zones;
(3) Connect equity zones to technical assistance providers where need surpasses what EOHHS can offer directly; and
(4) Coordinate with other state departments beyond the department of health on issues such as housing and economic development, to ensure a "whole government" approach.
(d) State appropriations for this purpose shall be combined with federal dollars to fund the equity zone network infrastructure, with a goal of equitably sustaining existing equity zones.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
