HI SR9

Hawaii Senate Resolution 9 requests the U.S. Congress to pass legislation amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service.

Hawaii already provides state-level protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in housing, public accommodations, employment, and jury service, with the most recent protection (Act 40, 2022) addressing juror exclusion.

The resolution references the federal Equality Act (H.R. 15 in the House and S. 1503 in the Senate), which has been introduced in various forms since 1974 and passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 and 2021.

All four members of Hawaii's congressional delegation co-sponsor the federal Equality Act: Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, and Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.

The resolution requests certified copies be sent to the President, Vice President, congressional leadership, and Hawaii's congressional delegation, and asks that the full resolution text be printed in the Congressional Record.