[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4507-S4508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. 
        Cantwell, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Harris, Ms. 
        Hassan, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Rosen, Mr. 
        Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen, and Ms. Warren):
  S. 1964. A bill to support educational entities in fully implementing 
title IX and reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of 
education, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss the 
Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act, 
which I was proud to reintroduce today with several of my Senate 
colleagues. I also want to thank Congresswoman Matsui, who introduced 
the bill in the House.
  Our legislation recognizes and builds on the progress started by two 
gender

[[Page S4508]]

equity champions: Patsy Mink of Hawaii and Louise Slaughter of New 
York.
  Patsy Mink, the first Asian American woman and woman of color to 
serve in Congress, was a pioneer and a strong champion for gender 
equity in education as one of the principal authors of Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's 
commitment to public service and fierce advocacy for women's equality 
and empowerment helped strengthen educational opportunities for all 
Americans.
  The Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA) would honor their legacies 
by providing more resources for K-12 schools, colleges and 
universities, States, school districts, and others to fully implement 
Title IX, also known as the ``Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in 
Education Act,'' which has transformed the educational landscape in our 
country by reaffirming the fundamental principal that sex-based 
discrimination has no place in our nation's schools.
  Since its enactment, Title IX has opened countless doors for women 
and girls, and created important opportunities for students across the 
country--whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or in the 
boardroom. But barriers still exist, and more work remains to make sure 
all students have access to safe learning environments free from bias 
and discrimination. We need to work to make sure schools treat students 
equally with regard to athletic participation opportunities, athletic 
scholarships, and the benefits and services provided to athletic teams.
  We need to work to improve gender equity in career and technical 
education, in higher education, and in science, technology, 
engineering, and math (STEM) fields while strengthening the STEM 
pipeline. We need to address sexual harassment and assault in our 
nation's schools.
  We need to address discrimination based on pregnancy or parenting 
status by providing better accommodations and increased support for 
pregnant and parenting students, because currently only half of teenage 
mothers earn their high school diplomas before they turn 22 years old, 
and nearly one-in-three young mothers never get their diplomas or GEDs, 
which is unacceptable.
  And, at a time when nearly nine-in-ten LGBTQ students reported being 
harassed or assaulted based on a personal characteristic, we need to 
address discrimination based on stereotypes of actual or perceived 
sex--including sexual orientation and gender identity.
  GEEA provides important resources to continue this work--not only to 
protect the progress we have made, but also to build on that progress 
and create more opportunities for students.
  By improving and strengthening Title IX, we uphold the great work of 
champions like Patsy Mink and Louise Slaughter, who fought to make sure 
no students are denied equal access to educational opportunities or 
have to worry about whether they are safe on campus. We must remain 
vigilant in this endeavor.
  I thank my colleagues for joining me in reintroducing this important 
legislation as we continue our work to advance Title IX and to ensure 
equal access to educational opportunities for all.
  I yield the floor.
                                 ______