Sen. Winfield Leads Senate Passage of Racial Impact Statement Bill

HARTFORD— Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) yesterday lead bipartisan Senate passage of Senate Bill 256, which requires that a racial and ethnic impact statement be prepared at the request of any legislator. This would allow policymakers to consider the ramifications of potential policies on communities of color and inform their decision-making.

“The provisions of this bill will help my colleagues and me to understand the full impact on the communities of Connecticut of the legislation we propose,” Sen. Winfield said. “By passing this bill, Connecticut lawmakers demonstrate recognition of the fact that the policies created and passed into law in this building can have a disproportionate impact on minority communities.”

Racial impact statements are a tool for lawmakers to evaluate potential disparities of proposed legislation prior to adoption and implementation. They assist legislators in detecting unforeseen policy ramifications on certain communities. According to the bill, a racial impact statement would be prepared by the Office of Legislative Research and the Office of Fiscal Analysis as long as a legislator requests one at least ten days prior to the last day session.

Currently in Connecticut, a racial impact statement can only be requested by a majority of committee members. This bill would allow one to be prepared at the request of any legislator.

The bill now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.