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Panel advances review of Hawaii Revised Statutes for gender‑neutral language
Summary
HR95/HCR99 directs the State LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women to review Hawaii Revised Statutes and recommend gender‑neutral terminology. Supporters urged inclusivity; some committee members registered formal no votes citing concerns about drafting language.
The committee advanced HR95/HCR99, requesting that the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women review the Hawaii Revised Statutes and recommend changes to gender‑neutral terminology.
Michael Golojic Jr., vice chair of the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, testified in support and urged passage to ensure statutory language “encompass everybody in our Hawaii revised statutes.” Yasmin Chaney and representatives from the Commission on the Status of Women also testified in support and proposed amendments to ensure the work is feasible within the proposed timeline.
During discussion Representative Garcia and Representative Alcos recorded formal no votes in the decision-making sequence, each expressing concern about specific language in the resolution that, in their view, would alter drafting conventions. The committee nonetheless advanced the resolution with an HD1 and extended the deadline to the end of 2026; technical amendments were adopted for clarity, consistency and style.
The resolution directs the two commissions to inventory statutes and recommend language updates; it does not itself change statutes or require immediate codification.
