Text of HI HCR 99 (2025)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.C.R. NO. 99 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII HOUSE 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. WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is committed to fostering inclusivity, equality, and respect for all individuals, regardless of gender identity or expression; and WHEREAS, many existing statutes within the Hawaii Revised Statutes contain binary, gendered language that may not reflect the diverse identities of Hawaii's residents; and WHEREAS, the use of gender-neutral language in legislation promotes inclusivity and ensures that all individuals are equally recognized and protected under state law; and WHEREAS, in 2013, the Hawaii State Legislature passed marriage equality, ensuring that same-sex couples have the right to marry, and the rest of the Hawaii Revised Statutes should reflect this legal recognition when addressing married couples; and WHEREAS, in 2019, the Hawaii State Legislature expanded gender markers from the false narrative of the gender binary that utilizes "F" for female and "M" for male on state identification cards and driver's licenses; and WHEREAS, now, forms of state identification also include the marker "X" for those who do not identify within the gender binary; and WHEREAS, other jurisdictions have undertaken similar efforts to modernize statutory language to be more inclusive, and Hawaii should also ensure that state laws reflect the values of respect and aloha for all; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women are requested to collaborate and conduct a comprehensive review of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and recommend amendments to incorporate gender-neutral terminology; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women are requested to: (1) Draft recommended legislation to incorporate gender-neutral terminology in the Hawaii Revised Statutes; (2) Draft a recommendation for bill review to ensure future legislation incorporates gender-neutral terminology; and (3) Submit a report of their findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation containing the suggested statutory amendments, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Attorney General is requested to assist the LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women in fulfilling these endeavors; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women are requested to engage with civil rights experts that specialize in gender identity and non-binary issues, such as Lambda Law Hawaii, in fulfilling these endeavors; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Hawaii State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus Commission; Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women; and Chair of the Lambda Law Hawaii student organization at the University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: LGBTQ+ Commission; Commission on the Status of Women; Inclusive Language; Gender-Neutral Terminology; Report