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 QuestionsÂ
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 self-identified in these categories. “Other race” typically includes American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, or Some Other Race. Individual REIS that deviate from this categorization of “other race” will be explained in the REIS. 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 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 population. For ease of analysis, where possible, the Commission will attempt to combine race and ethnicity into a single variable (e.g., non-Hispanic White, Black, Asian, multiracial, other race, Hispanic all races) that add up to one hundred percent of the population.
It is important to note that race and ethnicity are self-identified categorizations by the individual and are context and time dependent. People can change their self-identification, struggle identifying with the provided categorizations, or have no identification at all if they come from a context where the construction of race is not historically prevalent.