STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1419

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 179

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.C.R. No. 179 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT 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 Hawaiʻi State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus Commission; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Pride at Work Hawaiʻi; and seven 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 Despite this, much of the State's statutory language continues to reinforce outdated and exclusionary gender assumptions.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) Requesting 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) Requesting 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) Amending 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.C.R. No. 179, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 179, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair