ACT 5	S.B. NO.888

A Bill for an Act Relating to the Commission on Sexual
Orientation and the Law.

Be It Enacted by she Legislature of the State of HawaII:

SECTlON 1. The purpose of this Act is to form a new commission
on sexual orientation and the law.

SECTION 2. Act 217, Session Laws of Hawaii 1994, section 6,1:
repealed. ["SECTlON 6. Theree is created, effective upon
approval of this Act, a commission on sexual orientation and the
law. The commission shall consist of eleven members, ten
appointed by the govemor of the State of Hawaii, of which two
shail be representatives from the Hawaii Civil Rights
Commission; two shall be representatives from the American
Friends Sercice Committee; two shall be representatives from the
Catholic Church diocese; two shall be representatives from the
Church of Latter-Day Saints; two shall be representatives from
the Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project; and an eleventh
member, who shall be the chairperson of the family law section
of the Hawaii State Bar Association as of January 1,1994, who
shall serve as chairperson of the commission. Should the
chairperson of the family law section of the Hawaii State Bar
Association decline to serve, the president of the senate and
the speaker of the house of representatives shall choose, at
their Joint discretion, a person with expertise in the law of
domestic relations to serve as chairperson of the commission.
The members of the commission shall serve without compensation
and the commission shall be attached for administrative purposes
to the legislative reference bureau, which shall provide staff
support to the commission. The purpose of the commission shall
be to:

(1)	Examine the precise legal and economic benefits extended
to opposite sex couples, but not to same-sex couples;

(2)	Examine whether substantial public policy reasons exist to
extend such benefits to same-sex couples and the reasons
therefor; and

(3)	Recommend appropriate action which may be taken by the
legislature to extend such benefits to same-sex couples.

The commission shall submit a report on its findings to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
the 1993 regular session."]

SECTION 3. There is created, effective upon approval of this
Act, a commission on sexual orientation and the law. The
commission shall consist of seven members of the general public,
appointed by the governor, of which two shall be appointed from
a list of nominees submitted by the speaker of the house of
representatives and two shall be appointed from a list of
nominees submitted by the president of the senate. The governor
shall designate the chair of the commission. The members of the
commission shall serve without compensation and the commission
shall be attached for administrative purpoes to the legislative
reference bureau, which shall provide staff support to the
commission. The purpose of the commission shall be to:

(I)	Examine the major legal and economic benefits extended to
married opposite-sex couples, but not to same-sex couples;

(2)	Examine the substantial public policy reasons to extend
or not to extend such benefits in part or in total to same-sex
couples;

(3)	Recommend appropriate action which may be taken by the
legislature to extend such benefits to same-sex couples. The
commission shall submit a report of its findings to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
the 1996 regular session. The commission shall cease to exist
after July 1,1996."

SECTlON 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
(Approved March 24,1995.) 

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