Bipartisan Women’s Legislative Caucus reveals 2022 Hawaiʻi bill package
The 2022 legislative package of the bipartisan Hawaiʻi Women’s Legislative Caucus includes eight bills with measures that cover gender equity, health care and public safety.
The billsʻ purposes:
- extend Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months following the end of pregnancy
- require insurers to cover mammography services at least as favorably as coverage for other radiological examinations
- update and clarify duties of educational programs under state version of Title IX
- require a community-based work furlough program for all eligible women
- require annual reports on commercial sexual exploitation of children
- develop a risk assessment tool specifically for female offenders
- appropriate funds to train incarcerated women to be peer tutors
- appropriate funds to integrate children of incarcerated women into treatment programs
Sen. Michelle Kidani, co-convener of the Hawaiʻi Women’s Legislative Caucus, said the legislative package improves the health and safety of women and children in Hawaiʻi.
“Throughout this pandemic, we have seen the importance of access to quality health care, including for new mothers and their babies,” she said.
Rep. Linda Ichiyama said expanding transparency and data collection on gender equity and commercial sexual exploitation of children “will give us a clearer picture of what is happening in our schools, colleges and in the community.”
The caucus is dedicating its 2022 efforts to the 50th anniversary of Title IX, or the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, and to the late Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink.
Congresswoman Mink co-authored Title IX in 1972, to ensure that future generations of women would not have to face the same barriers that she overcame in her career.
Congresswoman Mink was the first Japanese American woman admitted to practice law in Hawaiʻi and the first woman of color in the United States Congress.
“Congresswoman Mink was a trailblazer for women nationally, not just in Hawaiʻi,” Sen. Rosalyn Baker said. “She was also a tireless advocate for gender equity in education and access to quality childcare for all families.”
Several of the bills in the package seek to address the challenges facing incarcerated women and how to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
The Hawaiʻi Women’s Legislative Caucus co-conveners for 2021-2022 are Senators Rosalyn Baker (D-6, South and West Maui) and Michelle Kidani (D-18, Mililani Town, portion of Waipi‘o Gentry, Waikele, Village Park and Royal Kunia) and Representatives Lauren Matsumoto (D-45, Schofield, Mokulē‘ia, Waialua, Kunia, Waipio Acres and Mililani) and Linda Ichiyama (D-32, Moanalua Valley, Salt Lake and Āliamanu).
The Women’s Legislative Caucus includes 16 women Representatives in the House and 10 women Senators.
To read the entire 2022 Women’s Legislative Caucus package, click here.
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