AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (Mandates that the EOHHS assemble a network of equity zones where local multisector groups of nonprofits, service providers, advocates, community members, state agencies, and municipalities can address social factors of health at a local level.)

S2689

2026 -- S 2689
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LC005581
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES

Introduced By:
Senator Melissa A. Murray

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
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(1) Since its inception, Rhode Island's Equity Zone (RIEZ), formerly known as Health
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Equity Zone (HEZ) has expanded to fourteen (14) distinct communities, with more than one
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thousand eight hundred (1,800) individual leaders and three hundred (300) organizations across
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twenty (20) sectors to advance community transformation that supports all residents, especially
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those who have been historically underserved.
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(2) These Equity Zones have demonstrated impact as follows:
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(i) Between 2018-2022, social vulnerability dropped by twenty-one percent (21%) in RIEZ
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communities, compared to non-RIEZ communities with little to no change (four-tenths of a percent
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(0.4%) decrease). During this time, RIEZs’ strategic actions improved health status, economic
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opportunity, and social well-being in their communities.
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(ii) People living in RIEZ communities were twice as likely to rely on public insurance
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than non-RIEZ communities. Yet, the average per-person public insurance costs are significantly
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lower in RIEZ communities than non-RIEZ communities, resulting in significant public insurance
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savings over time.
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(iii) At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as residents faced challenges accessing food,
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healthcare, and maintaining employment and housing, social vulnerability rose across all Rhode
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Island communities. However, the increase in social vulnerability was much lower in RIEZ

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communities. In non-RIEZ communities, the increase was fourteen percent (14%), compared to
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only a two percent (2%) increase in RIEZ communities. This demonstrated greater resilience in
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RIEZ communities, who were better equipped to withstand and overcome the challenges of the
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pandemic and meet the urgent needs of their residents.
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(iv) Findings show that RIEZ communities are linked to decreasing chronic disease over
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time. Many RIEZ communities are seeing much lower rates of chronic disease than expected, based
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on their level of social vulnerability. For example, high cholesterol and heart disease in certain
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RIEZ communities are dropping much faster than the state average.
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(3) These Equity Zones elevate community voice to:
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(i) Determine which services need to be provided locally by collaborative partners;
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(ii) Strengthen relationships between community members and organizations to create a
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foundation of mutual respect, cultural responsiveness, and humility;
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(iii) Advocate for effective and meaningful policy-change;
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(iv) Utilize resources effectively to avoid duplication and maximize shared impact; and
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(v) Restructure decision-making processes to be more democratic and build civic
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engagement.
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(4) The RIEZ network creates a forum for sharing and collaborating across the entire state.
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(5) This model is recognized as a national best practice for addressing upstream social
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determinants of health.
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(6) Resources are not distributed equitably across the state and under-resourced
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communities suffer; Equity Zones fill this gap.
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(7) Funding levels have not kept pace with the needs of communities. State funding for the
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Equity Zones has declined in recent years, even as the demand for equitable, community-driven
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solutions has increased. Without sustained investment Rhode Island risks losing the infrastructure
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that has made RIEZ a national model for addressing systemic inequities.
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(8) Equity Zones play a burgeoning role as the state's primary strategy for community
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transformation, driving health, economic and environmental equity.
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(9) While the Rhode Island Department of Health has historically played a central role in
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the RIEZ initiative, the initiative’s expansion requires a “whole of government” approach that
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includes other state agencies, such as those focused on housing, economic development,
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transportation, and workforce initiatives. The RIEZ model must be formally recognized as the
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state’s primary strategy for equitable community improvement, with the executive office of health
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and human services coordinating funding, technical assistance, and interagency collaboration to
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ensure long-term sustainability.

LC005581 - Page 2 of 4
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SECTION 2. Chapter 42-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of Health and Human
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Services" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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42-7.2-21. Equity Zones.

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(a) The executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) is hereby directed to
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convene and support a network of equity zones whereby local multisector collaboratives of
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nonprofits, service providers, advocates, community members, state agencies, and municipalities
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can address social determinants of health at a local level.
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(b) The EOHHS shall support equity zones to:
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(1) Support resident leadership development, civic engagement, and capacity-building
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efforts to ensure that those most affected by inequities are leading the solutions;
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(2) Address root causes of health and economic disparities locally; and
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(3) Share lessons learned and best practices between equity zones to deepen collective
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impact statewide.
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(c) To this end, the EOHHS shall:
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(1) Collect, track, analyze, and share data that is relevant to the equity zones;
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(2) Offer direct assistance to improve the quality, functionality and capacity of equity
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zones;
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(3) Connect equity zones to technical assistance providers where need surpasses what
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EOHHS can offer directly; and
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(4) Coordinate with other state departments beyond the department of health on issues such
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as housing and economic development, to ensure a "whole government" approach.
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(d) State appropriations for this purpose shall be combined with federal dollars to fund the
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equity zone network infrastructure, with a goal of equitably sustaining existing equity zones.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
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LC005581 - Page 3 of 4
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
***
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This act would mandate that the EOHHS assemble a network of equity zones where local
2
multisector groups of nonprofits, service providers, advocates, community members, state
3
agencies, and municipalities can address social factors of health at a local level.
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This act would take effect on July 1, 2026.
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LC005581 - Page 4 of 4