JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $10,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INITIATIVE (Authorizes the appropriation of the sum of $10,000,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative.)

H8211

2026 -- H 8211
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LC005331
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $10,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INITIATIVE

Introduced By:
Representatives Kislak, McGaw, Cruz, Ajello, Donovan, Alzate, Diaz,
Furtado, Cortvriend, and Tanzi

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Finance
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WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) runs a statewide
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Community Health Worker (CHW) initiative focused on training, deploying, and integrating
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CHWs into public‑health and clinical teams to advance health equity and resilience. This effort is
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anchored in a CDC‑funded “Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient
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Communities” grant awarded to RIDOH in 2021; and
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WHEREAS, The CHW trains workers in core competencies, including public‑health
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basics, pandemic response, emergency preparedness, health‑system navigation, and addressing
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social determinants of health; and
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WHEREAS, The initiative employs trained CHWs to priority populations -- especially
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communities disproportionately affected by COVID‑19 -- to support outreach, testing,
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vaccination, care coordination, and chronic‑disease management; and
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WHEREAS, The initiative actively promotes health‑equity goals by embedding CHWs
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within RIDOH’s “Rhode to Equity” (R2E) initiative and by creating leadership opportunities for
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CHWs (including a dedicated lead‑CHW consultant role statewide); now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of money in the treasury not
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otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000)
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to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative; and the state
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controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders upon the general treasurer for the
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payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of

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properly authenticated vouchers. This appropriation shall be used to support a program to place
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community health workers at libraries or other community-based organizations to support
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community and individual resilience. The program shall collaborate and coordinate with local
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communities, community health worker networks and associations, and other Rhode Island CHW
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initiatives, including rural health, Olmstead Plan, Health Equity Zones, Maternal Health
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Initiatives, CHW Voices for Leadership and Advocacy, Alliance for CHW employers and shall
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fund anchor community-based organizations: (1) To hire, employ and supervise CHWs; (2) To
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develop and support the CHW workforce; and (3) To evaluate the program support sustainability.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $10,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INITIATIVE
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This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $10,000,000 to the
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Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative.
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