The project aims to provide a preliminary assessment of how Racial and Health Equity Impact Assessments (R/HEIAs) are being applied to state and local laws and proposed laws related to healthy eating and food access. The researchers will identify and collect examples of R/HEIAs conducted on healthy eating and related food policies, analyze the R/HEIAs, and develop preliminary recommendations addressing 1) food policy specific considerations that decisionmakers should consider when conducting and applying R/HEIAs; 2) R/HEIA-related considerations advocates should consider when developing healthy eating and related food policy proposals. The four steps in the outlined research plan are: 1) Identify R/HEIAs related to state/local food-relevant policies; 2) Conduct a formative content analysis of the identified R/HEIAs; 3) Evaluate and assess R/HEIA rigor and accuracy; and 4) Convene an informal advisory group consisting of government staff who conduct R/HEIAs and food policy advocates.
Start Date: May 2023
Organization: Public Health Law Center
Project Lead: Julie Ralston Aoki, JD
Resource Type: Commissioned Research Project Summary
Keywords: Equity and disparities, Law/policy
Focus Areas: Food Access, Healthy Communities
Related Research
July 2025
State Earned Income Tax Credit and Food Security: Results Among Economically At-Risk Households With Children
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the state Earned Income Tax Credit on food insecurity among economically at-risk U.S. households with children and explore differential effects across sociodemographic groups. The authors used an intent-to-treat causal inference design and household-level data from all 50 U.S. states available from the Current Population MoreMay 2025
Implementation Insights and Equity: Considerations for Summer EBT in 2024
In 2024, the US Department of Agriculture introduced a new federal nutrition initiative, the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program—also known as SUN Bucks. This program offers grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months to help address gaps in summer food assistance. In 2024, 37 states, all 5 US territories, and MoreMarch 2025