CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 170-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2443

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2443, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER SERVICES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Integrate the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into emergency planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities;

(2) Establish a Disability Integration Specialist position, to be located within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to provide programming support for disability community projects that promote accessibility, inclusion, and equity in disaster management;

(3) Require the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to develop and implement a statewide public education and communications program to promote household emergency preparedness consistent with the Agency's fourteen-day essential supplies recommendation;

(4) Require the Governor or mayor of a county to provide an American Sign Language interpreter during each official announcement broadcast via television or the Internet during a state of emergency;

(5) Require the Governor or mayor of a county to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, that the American Sign Language interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are visible during the broadcast;

(6) Require the Governor or mayor of a county to provide a standardized pool feed that includes the American Sign Language interpreter in a picture‑in‑picture window not less than one quarter the size of the primary video and not blocked or covered by captions, graphics, or other on-screen text; and

(7) Require annual reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Retaining only the provisions that:

(A) Integrate the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into emergency planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities; and

(B) Establish a Disability Integration Specialist position, to be located within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to provide programming support for disability community projects that promote accessibility, inclusion, and equity in disaster management;

(2) Inserting an appropriation amount of $100,000 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) disability integration specialist position;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2026; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2443, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2443, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI Co-Chair
____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY Co-Chair	____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA Co-Chair
____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair