What is a Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement (REIS)?
A racial and ethnic impact statement (REIS) is an informational tool for legislators which will project the likely impact of a proposed bill on racial and ethnic disparities (i.e. if the law would widen disparities, narrow disparities, or have no detectable impact on disparities). Commission REIS analysts utilize available state, national, regional, and/or local data as appropriate to conduct assessments and provide impact statements.
REIS Frequently Asked Questions
Race and Ethnicity in Data Explained
In REIS, characterization by ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic) or race (White, Black, Asian, multiracial, other races) is based on how respondents of the American Community Survey (ACS) self-identified in these categories. “Other race” includes American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, or some Other Race. Hispanic individuals can be of any race or multiracial because Hispanic ethnicity relates to cultural and linguistic heritage.
REIS analyzes disparities by ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic), where Hispanic can be of any race or multiracial. Hispanic and non-Hispanic population add up to one hundred percent of the state population. Analysis by race (White, Black, Asian, multiracial, other races) includes all individuals regardless of their ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic). All races add up to one hundred percent of the state population.
It is important to note that race and ethnicity are self-identified categorizations by the individual in the ACS and are context and time dependent. People can change their self-identification or have no identification at all if they come from a context where the construction of race is not historically prevalent.