WA, UT, CO, and VA Latest States to Launch Initiatives to Address Disparities of Men and Boys

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Henry Herrera

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

WA, UT, CO, and VA Latest States to Launch Initiatives to Address Disparities of Men and Boys

WASHINGTON / February 4, 2026 – “This bill is deeply personal to me. As the widow of a man who committed suicide and as the mother of a Black son, seeing our boys and men thrive in the community is at the utmost top-of-mind for me each and every day.”

This powerful statement was delivered on January 23 by Washington State Rep. April Berg in support of House Bill 2401, designed to establish a commission on boys and men. Rep. Berg is the lead sponsor of the bill, which already has 19 co-sponsors (1).

The Washington bill is the fourth state-level initiative unveiled in 2026 that is intended to give a boost to men and boys:

Utah: On January 8 Utah Gov. Spencer Cox convened a Men and Boys Well-being Symposium. The event revealed that nationwide, only 64% of men Strongly or Somewhat Agree with the statement, “I understand my purpose in life,” and 30% of men say they don’t have someone to talk with about their mental health (2).

Colorado: The Parental Equality and Child Empowerment Act (PEACE) Act was introduced on January 14 by Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson. The proposed PEACE Act will establish a rebuttable presumption of equal shared parenting for fathers and mothers (3).

Virginia: On January 14, Del. Josh Thomas introduced HB1188, which establishes a Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission. The body is expected to advise on “issues of concern, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, and the impact of social media use.” (4)

These initiatives built on a series of state-level initiatives unveiled in 2025 to advance men and boys:

California: Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in July to support young men and boys, and to reduce male suicide rates. Newsom observed, “Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected from community, opportunity, and even their own families.” (5)

Maryland: During his 2025 State of the State Address, Gov. Wes Moore announced an “all-of-government” effort to “uplift our men and boys.” Proposed efforts include strengthening recruitment of male educators, establishing partnerships, and more (6).

Michigan: Last month, with the support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential hosted its first Moving Michigan Males Forward Convening to address the urgent challenges facing men across the state (7).

Men’s health has attracted bipartisan attention in recent months, as well. In December the American Medical Association passed a resolution in support of the establishment of offices of men’s health (8).

Men are lagging behind women in 12 major areas (9). SAVE urges lawmakers to continue to strengthen their focus on erasing the many disparities that affect men and boys.

SAVE – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments – is a 501(c)3 organization working to assure due process, fairness, and equal opportunities for men.

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