---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY."
description: "Requires gender-specific terminology used in adoption and annulment, divorce, and separation matters to be construed in a gender-neutral manner. Takes effect 1/1/2024. (CD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2023 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 110"
citation: "Hawaii SB 110 (2023 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Adoption", "Annulment", "Divorce", "Gender-Neutral Terminology", "Statutory Interpretation", "and Separation"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["SAN BUENAVENTURA"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 38
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2023-01-17"
last_action: "2023-06-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7e327400-002e-422b-a418-f944dacf7f66"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=110&year=2023"
source_hash: "5589f54bd2b958b61e10e80bd2b5dcd184a37608c13715950b4efc636b99d347"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii SB 110 (2023 Regular Session) — RELATING TO GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMINOLOGY.

Requires gender-specific terminology used in adoption and annulment, divorce, and separation matters to be construed in a gender-neutral manner. Takes effect 1/1/2024. (CD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **SB110** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SB110_.HTM)
2. **SB110_CD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SB110_CD1_.HTM)
3. **SB110_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SB110_HD1_.HTM)
4. **SB110_SD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SB110_SD1_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · upper
- The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. — **4–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- SAN BUENAVENTURA — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-06-30** Act 161, 06/29/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1264). `became-law`
- **2023-06-30** Act 161, on 06/29/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1264). `became-law`
- **2023-05-03** Enrolled to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-04** Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 900). `receipt`
- **2023-05-02** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 993). `receipt`
- **2023-05-02** Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kong, Pierick, Ward voting no (5) and none excused (0). `passage`
- **2023-05-02** Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Awa, Fevella, Gabbard). Excused, 0 (none). `passage`
- **2023-04-27** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 05-02-23.
- **2023-04-27** Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 4) as amended in (CD 1).
- **2023-04-27** 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-02-23.
- **2023-04-27** Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 4).
- **2023-04-21** The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Takayama, Tam, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
- **2023-04-21** The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Elefante, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-20** Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-21-23 2:35PM; Conference Room 325.
- **2023-04-21** Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 829). `receipt`
- **2023-04-20** House Conferees Appointed: Tarnas Chair; Takayama, Tam, Souza.
- **2023-04-17** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 893). `receipt`
- **2023-04-17** Senate Conferees Appointed: Rhoads Chair; Elefante, San Buenaventura.
- **2023-04-04** Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 557). `receipt`
- **2023-04-04** Senate disagrees with House amendments. `amendment-failure`
- **2023-04-04** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 531). `introduction, receipt`
- **2023-04-03** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Ward voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran, Nishimoto excused (2). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2023-03-30** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Ichiyama, Ilagan, Sayama, Woodson excused (4).
- **2023-03-30** Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1785) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2023-03-17** The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Takayama, Ganaden, Ichiyama, Kong, Mizuno, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Hashimoto, Ilagan. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-15** Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Friday, 03-17-23 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2023-03-09** Referred to JHA, referral sheet 17 `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-09** Pass First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-07** Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 87) in amended form (SD 1). `introduction, receipt`
- **2023-03-07** Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, Fevella). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Fukunaga). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2023-03-03** 48 Hrs. Notice 03-07-23.
- **2023-03-03** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2023-03-03** Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 833) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2023-02-09** The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Elefante, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Gabbard ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-03** The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-09-23 9:30AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- **2023-01-20** Referred to JDC. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-18** Introduced and passed First Reading. `introduction`
- **2023-01-17** Pending Introduction.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7e327400-002e-422b-a418-f944dacf7f66`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).