Commission details Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements pilot, seeks lead analyst

The Commission on Racial Equity and Public Health reported this month that it piloted Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements (RICE) during the 2026 legislative session and plans to hire a lead analyst to implement the process ahead of the 2027 session.

Commission acting executive director Mona said the pilot tested a new informational tool for legislators that, like a fiscal note, assesses projected impacts — but with a focus on race and ethnicity. "Racial Ethnic Impact Statements, also known as RICE, are an informational tool for legislators which will assess a Bill's projected impact on existing racial and ethnic disparities," she said.

Stephanie Costanzi, the commission analyst who led the pilot work, said the commission received five RICE requests and one supplemental analysis. "During the session we received 5 RICE requests from legislators, as well as 1 additional request for a supplemental analysis on 1 of our RICE," she said. The bills cited in the pilot included sections of SB 5 (an AI bill), SB 6 (a child tax credit, with a supplemental analysis tied to minority‑owned businesses), HB 5109 (changes to cannabis tax levies), HB 5347 (required translations of agency forms) and a withdrawn request for parts of SB 4 (an omnibus consumer privacy bill).

Costanzi described how the office vetted requests. Feasibility assessments considered whether a bill had a racial or ethnic lens, whether data were available, and whether staff capacity allowed completion. "If we believe that there isn't necessarily a disparate impact on race or ethnicity, then it would not make a whole lot of sense to do a RICE," she said. She added that agencies' legislative liaisons were helpful when staff needed to identify data contacts.

The pilot also highlighted process adjustments the office will adopt before formal rollout: encouraging legislators to request RICE earlier in the bill cycle, building a centralized data library of state and federal sources for analysts to use, and conducting practice RICE reports during the interim to test timelines. Costanzi said the pilot found the draft procedures were "appropriate for fulfilling the deadline for deliverables" and will need only limited streamlining.

Mona said the commission is hiring a lead RICE analyst; applications are due June 21. Going forward, RICE reports will be publicly posted on a bill's web page when the process is fully adopted. "Going forward once RICE is formally rolled out, RICE will be published on a Bill's web page," she said.

Next steps the commission described include filling the analyst vacancy, creating the data library, publishing practice RICEs during the interim, and finalizing RICE procedures through joint rulemaking for the 2027 legislative session.