STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
MAR 3 1 2025
RE: S.R. No. 149
S. D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.R.
No. 149 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE LGBTQ+ COMMISSION AND
THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO REVIEW THE HAWAII
REVISED STATUTES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GENDER-NEUTRAL
LANGUAGE TERMINOLOGY,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Hawaii State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus
Commission and State Commission on the Status of Women to
collaborate and conduct a comprehensive review of the Hawaii
Revised Statutes and recommend amendments to incorporate gender
neutral terminology.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Pride at
Work Hawai‘i, and nine individuals.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this
measure from two individuals.
Your Committee finds that the State has a proud history of
embracing diversity and fostering a society where all individuals
are treated with dignity and respect. Despite this, much of the
State's statutory language continues to reinforce outdated and
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exclusionary gender assumptions. For example, terms such as
"husband" and "wife" remain in existing law, where "spouse" would
be more inclusive. Similarly, gendered pronouns are often used
where neutral terms could better reflect the diversity of gender
identities in the State. This measure will ensure that the
State's laws reflect the full spectrum of gender identities and
family structures.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Reguesting the Legislative Reference Bureau, rather than
the Hawaii State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Queer, Plus Commission and State Commission on the
Status of Women, to conduct a comprehensive review of
the Hawaii Revised Statutes and recommend amendments to
incorporate gender neutral terminology;
(2) Reguesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to submit an
interim and final report to the Legislature forty days
before the Regular Sessions of 2026 and 2027,
respectively;
(3) Deleting language that would have requested the
Department of the Attorney General to assist the Hawaii
State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus
Commission and State Commission on the Status of Women
in conducting the comprehensive review;
(4) Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to consult
with the Hawaii State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer, Plus Commission; State Commission on
the Status of Women; certain civil rights experts; and
certain law-related organizations when conducting the
comprehensive review;
(5) 7\mending its title accordingly; and
(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 149, as
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amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached
hereto as S.R. No. 149, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Judiciary,
KARL RHOADS, Chair
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 The Senate
Thirty-Third Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Judiciary
JDC
Bill / Resolution No.;* Committee Referral: Date:
S12_
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:___________________________________
The Recommendation is:
Pass, unamended /""Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
RHOADS, Karl (C)
GABBARD, Mike (VC)
CHANG, Stanley
SAN BUENAVENTURA, Joy A.
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL /
Recommendation; -------
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature:
Distributiprff^x^ ^-OriginaP-^ Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Oniy one measure per Record of Votes
Revised; 12/09/24