STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1784

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 109

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 109, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to replace gender-specific terminology used in certain parental and marital matters with gender-neutral terminology.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Rainbow Family 808, and eleven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that existing parental and marriage laws reflect outdated, cisheteronormative concepts of families, parenthood, parental rights, and relationships. Statutory amendments are needed to address society's evolving understanding of these concepts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that additional amendments may be necessary to conform the gender-neutral terminology used in this measure with other measures before the Legislature, including H.B. No. 384, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2023, which implements certain portions of the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 109, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 109, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair