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

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) runs a statewide

Community Health Worker (CHW) initiative focused on training, deploying, and integrating

CHWs into public‑health and clinical teams to advance health equity and resilience. This effort is

anchored in a CDC‑funded “Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient

Communities” grant awarded to RIDOH in 2021; and

     WHEREAS, The CHW trains workers in core competencies, including public‑health

basics, pandemic response, emergency preparedness, health‑system navigation, and addressing

social determinants of health; and

     WHEREAS, The initiative employs trained CHWs to priority populations -- especially

communities disproportionately affected by COVID‑19 -- to support outreach, testing,

vaccination, care coordination, and chronic‑disease management; and

     WHEREAS, The initiative actively promotes health‑equity goals by embedding CHWs

within RIDOH’s “Rhode to Equity” (R2E) initiative and by creating leadership opportunities for

CHWs (including a dedicated lead‑CHW consultant role statewide); now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of money in the treasury not

otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000)

to the Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative; and the state

controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders upon the general treasurer for the

payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of

properly authenticated vouchers. This appropriation shall be used to support a program to place

community health workers at libraries or other community-based organizations to support

community and individual resilience. The program shall collaborate and coordinate with local

communities, community health worker networks and associations, and other Rhode Island CHW

initiatives, including rural health, Olmstead Plan, Health Equity Zones, Maternal Health

Initiatives, CHW Voices for Leadership and Advocacy, Alliance for CHW employers and shall

fund anchor community-based organizations: (1) To hire, employ and supervise CHWs; (2) To

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

Rhode Island Department of Health Community Health Worker Initiative.

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LC005331

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