Requesting The Legislative Reference Bureau To Conduct A Comprehensive Review Of The Hawaii Revised Statutes And Recommend Amendments To Incorporate Gender-neutral Terminology.
Summary
SR149 is a Senate resolution requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to conduct a comprehensive review of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and identify places where gendered or binary terminology should be revised to use gender-neutral language. The resolution frames the effort as part of Hawaii’s broader commitment to inclusivity, equality, and respect for people of all gender identities and expressions, and it cites prior state actions such as marriage equality and the addition of an “X” gender marker on state identification documents.
The resolution does not itself change any statutes. Instead, it directs the LRB to draft recommended legislation and a bill-review recommendation process so future legislation can be written with gender-neutral terminology from the outset. It also requires an interim report before the 2026 session and a final report before the 2027 session, with proposed statutory amendments included in those reports. The LRB is asked to consult with the LGBTQ+ Commission, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the University of Hawaii law school, and LGBTQ+ legal organizations.
Impact
SR149 would affect state law indirectly by initiating a formal review of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and producing recommended amendments for later legislative action. Because it is a resolution, it has no immediate legal effect on existing statutes, but it could lead to broad revisions across the code to replace gendered references with gender-neutral terminology and to establish a future review process for new bills. The measure primarily affects the Legislative Reference Bureau and, eventually, any statutes that use binary language referring to spouses, parents, officials, or other persons.
Sentiment
The available vote history suggests generally favorable support for the resolution, with the Senate Judiciary Committee passing it with amendments by a 3-1 vote. The bill’s framing is strongly affirmative and policy-oriented, emphasizing inclusivity, civil rights, and modernization of statutory language. No committee transcript is available here, but the resolution’s sponsors and cited stakeholders indicate support from LGBTQ+ and women’s rights advocates, as well as civil rights and legal organizations.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely not the goal of inclusivity itself, but the scope and method of the statutory review. A comprehensive rewrite of gendered language across the Hawaii Revised Statutes could raise questions about legal precision, administrative workload, and how far terminology changes should go in areas where gender-specific language may have substantive legal meaning. The lone dissent in committee suggests at least some concern about the resolution’s approach, though the available record does not specify the objection. Support appears to come from advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion, women’s equality, and civil rights modernization.
Same As
Requesting The Hawaii State Lgbtq+ Commission And Hawaii 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.
Same As
Requesting The Legislative Reference Bureau To Conduct A Comprehensive Review Of The Hawaii Revised Statutes And Recommend Amendments To Incorporate Gender-neutral Terminology.