Opportunities for improving legislative public health policy in Rhode Island through evidence-based education
Bourdeau, M.; Winter, R.; Marshall, R.
Rhode Island Medical Journal 96(10): 29-31
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0363-7913 PMID: 24087822 Document Number: 664159
The Rhode Island General Assembly considers nearly 3000 bills yearly--spanning the entire range of issues related to state government and legislative policy. This review analyzes the modest number of 40 "health-related" bills introduced during the 2009 session. It is often not clear to what extent these proposals consistently received analysis by both informed and independent organizations or experts regarding their "evidence-based" foundations. Only 25 of these bills received a committee hearing, and eventually become law. Hence, there may be a reasonable opportunity for expert, non-partisan organizations to provide the General Assembly with information related to proposed legislation on a routine or "as requested" basis. This study provides a systematic analysis of this degree of effort based on data regarding health- related legislation proposed during the 2009 session of the RI General Assembly.