HCR 107: REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS UNDER TITLE IX.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS UNDER TITLE IX.

     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.

Report Title: 

Title IX; Protections; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Working Group

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the hawaii state commission on the status of women to convene a working group to develop measures to strengthen Protections under title ix.

     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 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 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.

Report Title: 

Title IX; Protections; State Commission on the Status of Women; Working Group.

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1628

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.C.R. No. 107

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 107 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS UNDER TITLE IX,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women to convene a working group to develop measures to strengthen protections under Title IX.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i State LGBTQ+ Commission; Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women; Imua Alliance; Every Voice Hawai‘i; AAUW of Hawai‘i; and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that sex-based discrimination and harassment remain persistent issues in Hawaii's education system, with many incidents going unreported, creating hostile learning environments that negatively affect students' well-being and academic success.  This measure seeks to address these challenges by requesting the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women to convene a working group to develop stronger state-level protections under Title IX and ensure equal access to educational opportunities for all students in Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding a representative of the Hawaiʻi State LGBTQ+ Commission and a student representative to the working group;

     (2)  Clarifying that the chairperson of the working group is requested to invite certain members of the working group; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 107, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 107, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,