Bill Text: HI SR64 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requesting The Collection Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Information By The Department Of Health Via The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, And By The Department Of Education Via The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-06 - Referred to CPH/EDU, JDC. [SR64 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-SR64-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	64
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE collection of SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY information by THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH VIA THE BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, AND by THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION VIA THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, major mental and physical health care professional associations recognize that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning is part of the natural variation that occurs in sexual orientation and gender identity; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Health published reports in 2018 and 2019 highlighting issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning children and youth, including higher rates of isolation, depression, suicidal ideations or attempts, substance use and misuse, homelessness, and sexual and intimate partner violence in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, preliminary data collection efforts indicate a significant population of indigenous lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning persons; and

 

     WHEREAS, the government's failure to accurately collect and consider demographic data on sexual orientation and gender identity creates an unnecessary barrier to addressing the needs of gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning youth; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii relies on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System as a critical resource for monitoring the health of Hawaii's adult population; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is a joint effort by the Department of Health and Department of Education to monitor the health of Hawaii's youth population; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the Department of Health is requested to administer the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to collect information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of respondents; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to include the questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity of respondents in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnaire, and, if necessary, develop and include its own questions related to the sexual orientation and gender identity; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to give preference to and include any modules or questions approved by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its administration of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to publish a detailed annual report on the results of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to also annually publish a comprehensive report on the health of Hawaii's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning community, including a comparison of the prevalence of health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning population with the general population, and, where possible, sub-populations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning population; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that every three years, the Department of Health is requested to include in its comprehensive report the data collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, subject to the various privacy laws; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to post all reports requested by this measure on its website; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to administer the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System to collect information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of students in the public schools and charter schools and transmit that information to the Department of Health; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested not to pass any costs associated with administering the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System to any public school or charter school; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Chairperson of the Board of Education, and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Department of Health; Department of Education; Lesbian; Gay; Bisexual; Transgender; Queer; Questioning; Sexual Orientation; Survey