Text of HI HR 29 (2024)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R. NO. 29 THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 STATE OF HAWAII HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING the board of education to adopt a policy relating to the use of preferred names for students. WHEREAS, the use of an individual's name assigned at birth, rather than their preferred name, is often referred to as "deadnaming"; and WHEREAS, failing to use a student's preferred name on student records and in campus settings can undermine the emotional well-being of transgender, Indigenous, minority, and other children, leading to bullying, discrimination, violence, and loss of educational and economic opportunities; and WHEREAS, deadnaming in educational settings is a common practice, but research has found that using students' preferred names is associated with improved mental health outcomes; and WHEREAS, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that using transgender youths' preferred names in more contexts was associated with lower rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior, and that the odds of each were lowest when preferred names were used in more contexts; and WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii has already adopted a policy by which any student may use a preferred name to foster an inclusive and supportive campus environment; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Board of Education is requested to adopt a policy relating to the use of preferred names for students; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education is urged to adopt a policy that: (1) Authorizes the Department of Education to implement a system by which current or former students can declare a preferred name to be used in their records where legal names are not required by law; (2) Requires the Department to update any records for current or former students to include the preferred name upon the request of the student, including but not limited to school-issued email addresses, campus identification cards, class rosters, diplomas, certificates of completion of courses, or other similar records; and (3) Ensures that the Department shall not charge a fee for correcting, updating, or reissuing a document or record based on the declaration of a preferred name; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Preferred Name; Board of Education; Department of Education