HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
979 |
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS TRAINING.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The threat to women's equality no longer
resides in overtly discriminatory statutes. Today, policies, plans, and
programs that appear gender-neutral continue to impede women's equality. As a result, during the COVID-19 pandemic,
women in Hawaii have suffered increased physical insecurity, economic distress,
job losses, mental health strain, reproductive oppression, and sexual
exploitation. Decision-makers should be
equipped by the State to counteract deterioration to women's political,
economic, and social status as a result of the crisis.
The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg demonstrated the importance
of incorporating a gender perspective to correct inherent discriminatory bias
against women in the law. The Hawaii state
commission on the status of women is an important institution to improve and
address gender inequality within government and community-based
organizations. The State can mature its
efforts to tackle cultural and structural barriers to gender equality by
implementing the successful gender-based analysis training model that has been adopted
by the Canadian national government. Providing gender-based analysis training
across all government departments and agencies will lead Hawaii to become the
first state in the nation to integrate a gender lens throughout state government,
which would enable departments and agencies to develop, renew, and assess policies,
legislation, and regulations that are sensitive to the different impacts that
decisions can have on men, women, and gender non-conforming people.
The
purpose of this Act is to establish the gender-based analysis training program
to be known as the Ruth Bader Ginsburg legacy training program to be
administered by the Hawaii state commission on the status of women.
SECTION 2. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Legacy Training Program Act.
SECTION
3. Section 367-3, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§367-3
Powers and duties of commission.
The commission shall:
(1) Act as a central clearinghouse and coordinating body for governmental and nongovernmental activities and information relating to the status of women;
(2) Create public awareness and understanding of
the responsibilities, needs, potentials, and contributions of women and their
roles in the changing society;
(3) Recommend legislative and
administrative action on equal treatment and opportunities for women;
(4) Encourage a long-range
program of education of women in their political rights and responsibilities, particularly
with respect to their voting duties;
(5) Maintain contacts with
appropriate federal, state, local, and international agencies concerned with
the status of women;
(6) Cooperate and collaborate with national groups
on the status of women and arrange for participation by
representatives of the State in White House conferences and other national
conferences from time to time;
(7) Administer funds allocated for its work; be authorized
to accept, disburse, and allocate funds that may become available from other
governmental and private sources; provided that all such funds shall be
disbursed or allocated in compliance with any specific designation stated by
the donor and in the absence of such specific designation, such funds shall be
disbursed or allocated on projects related to any of the purposes of this
chapter; [and]
(8) Submit an annual report with recommendations
to the governor and the legislature[.]; and
(9) Provide biannual gender-based analysis
training to the following:
(A) Director
and deputy directors of each state department;
(B) Director and deputy directors of each
attached agency;
(C) Chair of each state board and commission;
(D) Appointing authorities for state boards and
commissions;
(E) Mayor
or the mayor's designee of each county; and
(F) Managing director of each county.
For
purposes of this paragraph, "gender-based analysis training" means a
curriculum for government officials to understand how gender is an essential
determinant of policy and program outcomes, and to ensure that decision making
considers and reflects the diverse needs of women."
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: |
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BY REQUEST |
Report Title:
Gender-based Analysis Training
Description:
Requires the Commission on the Status of Women to provide biannual gender-based analysis training to government officials.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.