STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1685

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 39

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 39 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO INCLUDE IN ALL LIVE AND RECORDED EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM VIDEO BROADCASTS, AN ON-SCREEN INTERPRETER DISSEMINATING THE EMERGENCY INFORMATION IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AT ALL TIMES, INCLUDING DURING GRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to include in all live and recorded emergency alert system video broadcasts, an on-screen interpreter disseminating the emergency information in American Sign Language at all times, including during graphic presentations.

Your Committee received no testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency manages Hawaii's Emergency Alert System (EAS) to allow the President of the United States the capability to address the American public during a national emergency. Hawaii's EAS is also used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, including America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) alerts, the National Weather Service's emergency weather alerts and advisories, and, upon eruptions of volcanoes, volcano alert levels, aviation threat levels, seismic activity levels, lava flow, and other threats to the community. Your Committee believes that, due to the critical nature of EAS alerts and warnings, and to prevent confusion caused by misinformation, lack of information, or difficulty in finding accurate information following sudden disasters, EAS broadcasts should be provided using every communication tool available. This measure will ensure that Hawaii residents who are deaf or hard of hearing are not deprived of emergency information that is imperative for the protection of their lives and property.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 39, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 39, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair