Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. The legislature finds that it is necessary to establish a Washington state commission on boys and men to address systemic challenges facing boys, male youth, and men in Washington state.

The legislature finds that a successful society requires its institutions to recognize and respond to the distinct characteristics and needs of both males and females. The legislature finds that biological and developmental differences between males and females influence behaviors, learning, health, and social outcomes.

Disaggregated data by sex demonstrate that sustained efforts to expand opportunity for women and girls have resulted in significant gains and have strengthened Washington state and the nation. The legislature finds that the successful integration of girls and women, and the continued investments to ensure access for women required a whole-of-society recognition of the distinct social norms and biological characteristic differences that prevented previous generations of women from accessing opportunities.

The legislature further finds that many institutional frameworks have not sufficiently accounted for male-specific developmental, biological, and social needs, contributing to persistent disparities affecting boys and men in Washington state, including lower rates of postsecondary educational attainment and enrollment, disproportionate involvement in the juvenile and adult justice systems, higher rates of premature mortality, suicide, substance use disorder, unsheltered homelessness, and occupational injury, and lower overall life expectancy. These disparities have long-term consequences for individual opportunity, family formation and stability, and the economic and social health of communities.

The legislature finds that families are a foundational element of strong and resilient communities and that the well-being of boys, male youth, and men is integral to family stability and civic life in Washington state. The legislature further finds that persistent systemic bias against boys and men, if left unexamined and unaddressed, constrains opportunity, weakens family and community outcomes, and results in long-term costs borne by the state.

The legislature further finds that boys and men experience persistent and measurable disparities across multiple systems. The legislature recognizes that educational disengagement, justice system involvement, health outcomes, and economic instability are interrelated and that disparities affecting boys and men are often compounded by cultural attitudes embedded in our institutions serving across the lifespans of Washingtonians.

Research demonstrates the importance of engaged fatherhood and parental involvement in positive outcomes for children. Children from father-absent households are twice as likely to drop out of high school compared with children in two-parent homes. Approximately 71 percent of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. Children growing up without a father are four times more likely to live in poverty compared with those in two-parent families.

The legislature further finds that men experience worse health outcomes than women across many major indicators and that existing public health strategies have not consistently addressed male-specific prevention, early detection, and outreach needs, particularly in rural areas. Earlier mortality among men imposes significant costs on families, employers, and communities and warrants intentional, data-driven policy attention.

The legislature intends to establish the Washington state commission on boys and men to: Provide a structured, evidence-based forum to examine systemic, cultural, and institutional factors contributing to disparities affecting boys, male youth, and men; assess the effectiveness of existing laws, policies, and programs; and develop data-informed policy recommendations to improve outcomes for boys and men.

The legislature further intends that the commission's work complement, rather than diminish, existing efforts supporting women, families, and children, and that focused study of the challenges facing boys and men serve the broader goal of strengthening families, improving community well-being, and promoting long-term social and economic stability in Washington state.

(2) The Washington state commission on boys and men consists of nine nonlegislative voting members, appointed as follows:

(a) Two members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(b) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;

(c) Two members appointed by the president of the senate;

(d) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and

(e) One member appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate.

(3) Appointing authorities shall appoint individuals with demonstrated, credentialed subject matter expertise in one or more of the commission's focus areas, which may include education, workforce development, public health, behavioral health, housing stability, justice system involvement, family systems, or related fields.

(4) Appointments shall, to the extent practicable, reflect diverse professional perspectives and geographic regions of the state.

(5) Of the persons initially appointed to the Washington state commission on boys and men, three members shall be appointed for one-year terms, three members shall be appointed for two-year terms, and three members shall be appointed for three-year terms, as determined by lot. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for three-year terms.

(6) Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Washington state commission on boys and men must be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment.

(7) The Washington state commission on boys and men shall elect a chair and a vice chair from among the voting membership.

(8)(a) Two members of the senate, one from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate, and two members of the house of representatives, one from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, shall serve as nonvoting legislative advisory members.

(b) The terms for the legislative advisors are for approximately two years and expire before the first day of the legislative session in odd-numbered years. The position of a legislative advisory member is deemed vacant if the member ceases to be a member of the house from which the member was appointed.

(9) Nonlegislative voting members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative advisory members may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.

(10) A simple majority of the voting members of the commission constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

(2) The executive director is responsible for providing administrative, operational, and technical support to the Washington state commission on boys and men and shall carry out the policies, priorities, and directives established by the commission.

(3) The executive director may not establish policy positions, advocate on behalf of the Washington state commission on boys and men, or represent the commission's views independently of actions formally adopted by the commission.

(4) Subject to the availability of funds, the executive director may employ staff, enter into contracts, and obtain goods and services necessary to carry out the duties of the Washington state commission on boys and men, in accordance with state law and consistent with commission direction.

(5) The executive director shall attend Washington state commission on boys and men meetings and provide information and assistance necessary to support the commission's deliberations and decision making.

(6) The executive director shall perform such other administrative duties as assigned by the Washington state commission on boys and men consistent with this chapter.

(2) In carrying out its duties, the Washington state commission on boys and men shall consider boys, male youth, and men within the context of family and community systems, including the role of family formation, parental engagement, fatherhood, and family stability in educational attainment, public safety outcomes, health and well-being, workforce participation, and civic engagement.

(3) The Washington state commission on boys and men must assess the effects of existing statutes, policies, and administrative practices on boys, male youth, and men, including their implications for family stability, economic security, and participation in civic and community institutions, and develop evidence-based policy recommendations to improve institutional effectiveness and long-term social and civic outcomes.

(4) The Washington state commission on boys and men must, as the core focus of its work, examine and evaluate conditions affecting boys, male youth, and men in Washington state, including the following areas:

(a) Mental health, physical health, substance use disorder, addiction, suicide, and premature mortality, including risk factors, protective factors, prevention strategies, and opportunities for early identification and intervention;

(b) Educational development and attainment across the life course, including early childhood development, K–12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce preparation, and barriers to engagement, persistence, and completion at each stage;

(c) Workforce participation, career pathways, economic stability, and transitions from education to employment, including access to training, credentialing, and advancement opportunities;

(d) Successful family formation, parental engagement, and family stability, including the causes and effects of father absence and single parenting and the impacts of public policies on the ability to establish and sustain durable family relationships and household stability;

(e) Disproportionate involvement of boys and men in the juvenile and adult justice systems, including contributing factors, the preschool-to-prison pipeline, and evidence-based prevention, accountability, rehabilitation, and successful reentry strategies;

(f) Experiences of boys and men within public systems, including schools, health systems, housing systems, workforce programs, and criminal, juvenile, and family courts, and opportunities to improve system responsiveness and outcomes;

(g) Risks related to the exploitation of vulnerable boys and men by malign actors, including through online platforms, social media, gaming environments, and other digital or virtual spaces, and the impacts of such exploitation on radicalization, coercive recruitment, trafficking, mental health, physical safety, and community well-being, including evidence-based prevention, resilience, and intervention strategies;

(h) Biological and developmental differences between males and females as they relate to behavior, learning, health, and social outcomes, including evaluation of the extent to which state laws, policies, and practices account for such differences while avoiding bias and stereotypes; and

(i) Systemic, cultural, and institutional factors embedded in state laws, agency policies, administrative practices, and rules that may contribute to disparities affecting boys, male youth, and men in the areas identified in this subsection (4).

(5) In carrying out its duties, the Washington state commission on boys and men must:

(a) Collect, analyze, and report disaggregated data relevant to the areas identified in subsection (4) of this section;

(b) Consult with state agencies, subject matter experts, community organizations, and other relevant stakeholders;

(c) Serve as a clearinghouse for relevant research, data, and best practices;

(d) Hold public hearings; and

(e) Provide policy recommendations to the governor and the legislature.

(6) The commission shall submit a biennial report to the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.

(7) State agencies shall provide reasonable assistance to the commission upon request.

(2) The Washington state commission on boys and men may enter into agreements with public and private entities for the purpose of carrying out its duties under this chapter.

(3) The office of financial management shall, upon request of the commission, identify projected operating costs by fiscal year and provide technical assistance related to fiscal planning, budgeting, and expenditure tracking.

(4) The commission may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to carry out this chapter.

Correct the title.