OLYMPIA — A statement by Rep. Mary Dye (R-Pomeroy) on Wednesday announced the introduction of a bill that would create a new Washington State Commission on Boys and Men.
“There are many issues that impact men and boys. Yet, there is no unified voice that would tackle these issues at the state level,” wrote Dye, in the statement. “If adopted, this legislation would create the first-of-its-kind boys and men’s commission in the nation right here in Washington state.”
House Bill 1270 would direct the commission to focus on education, jobs, careers and financial health, fatherhood, family and relationships, physical and mental health, and the experiences of males in the criminal justice system and other court systems relating to boys and men’s well-being.
According to the release, the bill also proposes that the new commission be “tasked with developing strategies to encourage men and male youth to consider careers in teaching, mental health, social work, nursing, and other professions where the workforce severely lacks male participation.”