Unpacking Racial and Health Equity Impact Assessments: Legislation, Tools, and Strategies for Community-Centered Change
Overview
March 20, 2025 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. CT
More and more state and local governments are using equity impact assessment processes for proposed legislation and other decisions to drive better, more informed decision-making. These processes frequently focus on racial and health equity impacts. They are designed to predict whether proposed policies are likely to create, perpetuate, mitigate, or reduce health inequities, creating opportunities for public awareness, engagement, and policy improvement.
Join the Network for Public Health Law, the Public Health Law Center, and other partners for a two-part webinar series focused on the design and implementation of racial and health equity impact assessment (R/HEIA) laws across the U.S. The series will highlight valuable insights, tools, and recommendations for jurisdictions and advocates looking to design and use R/HEIAs to create more equitable health outcomes in communities.
This webinar, the first in the series, explains what racial and health equity impact assessment laws (R/HEIA) are, describes trends in where they’ve been adopted, their basic components, and tools to support design and implementation of meaningful REIA processes. Participants will hear about findings from a 50-state policy scan; gain deeper insights into R/HEIA law design and implementation opportunities and barriers identified through research and interviews with state and local government staff and community advocates; and learn about tools to help develop robust, community-centered R/HEIA policies.
The second webinar in the series, will be hosted by the Public Health Law Center, and will focus on R/HEIA implementation—the challenges and opportunities encountered when putting these assessments into practice. It will feature examples from jurisdictions where R/HEIAs have influenced the legislative process, with a focus on lessons learned, best practices, and practical insights for other jurisdictions looking to implement similar processes. Perspectives from both state-level and municipal-level staff will highlight the diverse experiences across different legislative settings.
By attending this webinar, you will:
- Gain an understanding of what R/HEIA laws are, their purpose, where and how they are being implemented across the United States.
- Learn about the various R/HEIA laws that have been proposed and adopted.
- Identify practical tools and resources to support the development and implementation of R/HEIA laws
- Explain actionable insights and techniques for centering community in policymaking and in shaping effective R/HEIA policies
Presenters:
- Sara Rogers, MPH, Senior Policy Analyst, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law
- Melody Ng, MPP, Doctoral Student, Urban Planning, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
- Melissa Laska, PhD, RD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
- Monica Hurtado, Public Policy Director, Voices for Racial Justice
Moderator:
- April Shaw, Deputy Director, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law
