State law establishes a variety of agencies that focus on the needs of underrepresented populations and those with lived experience. Many of these agencies focus on areas of health, safety, education, economic well-being, and increased access to government services, with an overarching goal of removing systemic barriers that lower health outcomes and the well-being of Washingtonians.
Examples of these agencies are the:
The Washington State Boys and Men Commission (Commission) is established as a stand-alone agency, contingent upon the receipt of nonstate contributions in an amount sufficient to fully fund the Commission's operational costs through December 31, 2029. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) must, by June 30, 2026, determine the amount by fiscal year that would be necessary to fully fund the operating costs of the Commission through December 31, 2029. The OFM must also seek nonstate contributions, place any contributions received into the newly created Boys and Men Commission Account, and notify interested parties whether sufficient funds have been received to fully cover the Commission's operational costs through December 31, 2029.
The Commission would consist of nine members appointed by the Governor. At least one member must be from a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Governor must consider nominations for membership based on maintaining a balanced and diverse distribution of ethnicity, geographic representation, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and occupational representation, but the majority of members must self-identify as male to maintain sufficient representation of individuals with direct lived experience. The Commission is administered by an executive director.
The Commission is responsible for:
The Commission may solicit and receive grants, gifts, and endowments from public or private sources, and adopt rules as needed.
(In support) There are a growing set of problems harming boys and men and, in turn, the families and communities of this state. Boys and men are falling behind in educational outcomes, where boys are more likely to struggle academically and disengage from school. The current one-size-fits-all educational model is failing boys. By requiring identical learning styles across all students, the education system inadvertently penalizes boys for a fundamental difference in male developmental needs. Boys and men also have a lower quality of health. Males face higher rates of suicide with four out of five youth suicides being boys and young men and where substance abuse disorder and untreated mental health conditions are on the rise. In the criminal legal system, men, and particularly men of color, are overrepresented. Men are also falling behind in workforce outcomes where many men are disconnected from stable employment opportunities. In the trades industry, the biggest danger to workers is not workplace injuries but rather personal struggles that surface when the workers go home. In 2023 there were 982 fatal job site injuries among construction workers across the country, but in that same year 15,910 construction workers died from an overdose and 5,095 died by suicide. The numbers tell a story of pain, isolation, and a lack of support. Young men need mentorship, they need affirmation, they need culturally responsive support, so that they also can grow and develop to their fullest potential. When boys are supported in school, have mentorship, and a true sense of belonging and purpose, it can change someone's life trajectory. Communities become safer and more stable, thereby reducing generational trauma that contributes to social challenges.
There is no single cause of, nor a single solution for, the problems facing boys and men. Creating this Commission would be a holistic approach to doing the careful, thoughtful work of bringing together research, people with lived experience, and cross-agency expertise to address pervasive crises facing boys and men in the state. The work of the Commission will inform the state's understanding of what is driving the trends in increasing feelings of loneliness and poor social and health outcomes.
This policy is not about centering men at the expense of women or rolling back hard-fought progress for anyone. Rather, it provides for a coordinated statewide approach to support boys and men and extends the same grace, intentionality, and investment into men and boys, particularly young men of color and young men who identify as LGBTQ, that the state has invested in girls and women. Men's health is family health, and improving men's health improves the economy. The state should aspire to cultivate a society where sex and gender are not predictors of poor life outcomes.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) This policy does not address a critical root cause impacting boys and men: fatherhood. Fatherlessness is a pressing problem. By failing to directly address this issue, the policy disenfranchises many boys, girls, mothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers in Washington. In addition, biological sex is not addressed in the bill. Focusing on biological sex is critical to understanding the root causes of challenges facing boys and men. Males of all races are behind their female counterparts in education and physical and mental health.
(In support) Representative April Berg, prime sponsor; Gerald Grubbs, Grapeview and Index School Districts; Kimber Erickson, Kellen CARES Foundation; Jose Romo Ramirez; Richard Pelman, Washington State Urology Society; Alex Craighead, Journeymen Institute; Paula Fillmore-Sardinas, WBBA—WA Build Back Black Alliance; Heather Kurtenbach, Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council; Jen Shevitz, Let Me Run; Richard Reeves, American Institute for Boys and Men; Billy Hetherington, Laborers Local Union 242; Blair Daly, Washington Initiative for Boys and Men; Joe Cook, Washington Initiative for Boys and Men; Jeffrey Evans, Washington State Urology Society; Simon Thornton; and Evan Wagoner-Lynch.