| 45 | | - | WHEREAS, the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, also known as Title IX (20 U.S.C. 1681), triggered a seismic shift in the education landscape by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex by any education program or activity receiving federal funds; and WHEREAS, Hawaii takes great pride in Congresswoman Mink's landmark legislation, which has expanded educational and professional opportunities for millions of girls and women in classrooms, athletics, employment, graduate studies, research, law, medicine, academia, and other professions that were out of reach prior to the enactment of Title IX; and WHEREAS, despite these achievements, Congresswoman Mink's vision for Title IX remains unfulfilled, as federal protections against sex discrimination in education have diminished over time; and WHEREAS, the current federal administration has signaled its intent to weaken certain civil rights protections and shift responsibility to the states; and WHEREAS, the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii System fail to meet compliance standards under Title IX, decades after its enactment; and WHEREAS, annual reports from the University of Hawaii, Department of Education schools, and state public charter schools on Title IX sex-based discrimination and non-Title IX sexual harassment complaints received by the schools suggest that incidents of sex-based discrimination and sex-based harassment go largely unreported when compared to the data from self-reported surveys; and WHEREAS, unaddressed sex-based discrimination and harassment create a hostile learning environment, which negatively impacts students' academic success, mental and physical well-being, and ability to pursue further education; and WHEREAS, stronger state protections are needed to ensure that all students are equally entitled to educational opportunities, free from discrimination based on sex; 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 Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women is requested to convene a working group to develop measures to strengthen protections under Title IX; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members or their designees: (1) The Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, who is to serve as chairperson of the working group for the purposes of convening the working group; (2) The Attorney General; (3) The Superintendent of Education; (4) The President of the University of Hawaii; (5) A member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (6) A member of the Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; (7) A representative of the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, to be invited to participate by the chairperson; (8) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in providing services to survivors of gender violence or discrimination, to be invited to participate by the chairperson; (9) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in advocating for policies to prevent campus-based sexual violence, to be invited to participate by the chairperson; (10) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in advocating for civil rights for sexual and gender minorities, to be invited to participate by the chairperson; and (11) A student representative, to be invited to participate by the chairperson; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Superintendent of Education; President of the University of Hawaii; and Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. |
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| 45 | + | WHEREAS, the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, also known as Title IX (20 U.S.C. 1681), triggered a seismic shift in the education landscape by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex by any education program or activity receiving federal fund; and WHEREAS, Hawaii takes great pride in Congresswoman Minks landmark legislation, which has expanded educational and professional opportunities for millions of girls and women in classrooms, athletics, employment, graduate studies, research, law, medicine, academia, and other professions that were out of reach prior to the enactment of Title IX; and WHEREAS, despite these achievements, Congresswoman Minks vision for Title IX remains unfulfilled, as federal protections against sex discrimination in education have diminished over time; and WHEREAS, the current federal administration has signaled its intent to weaken certain civil rights protections and shift responsibility to the states; and WHEREAS, the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii System fail to meet compliance standards under Title IX, decades after its enactment; and WHEREAS, annual reports from the University of Hawaii, Department of Education schools, and state public charter schools on Title IX sex-based discrimination and non-Title IX sexual harassment complaints received by the schools suggest that incidents of sex-based discrimination and sex-based harassment go largely unreported when compared to the data from self-reported surveys; and WHEREAS, unaddressed sex-based discrimination and harassment create a hostile learning environment which negatively impacts students' academic success, mental and physical well-being, and ability to pursue further education; and WHEREAS, stronger state protections are needed to ensure that all students are equally entitled to educational opportunities, free from discrimination based on sex; 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 Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women is requested to convene a working group to develop measures to strengthen protections under Title IX; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members or their designees: (1) The Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, who is to serve as chairperson of the working group for the purposes of convening the working group; (2) The Attorney General; (3) The Superintendent of Education; (4) The President of the University of Hawaii; (5) A member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (6) A member of the Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; (7) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in providing services to survivors of gender violence or discrimination; (8) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in advocating for policies to prevent campus-based sexual violence; and (9) A representative from a nonprofit, public interest organization that specializes in advocating for civil rights for sexual and gender minorities; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Superintendent of Education; President of the University of Hawaii; and Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ |
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