HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1531
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§127A-    State of emergency; official announcements; American Sign Language interpreter; requirements. (a) Whenever the governor or mayor, as applicable, declares a state of emergency pursuant to this chapter, the governor or mayor shall provide an American Sign Language interpreter who is certified by a nationally or state-recognized credentialing authority at each live broadcast press conference during the state of emergency. To the greatest extent possible, the governor or mayor shall ensure that the American Sign Language interpreter is physically positioned in a manner so that the interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are always visible during a television or internet broadcast of the press conference.

(b) The governor or mayor, as applicable, shall provide a primary pool feed for any live official announcement that includes an American Sign Language interpreter in a picture-in-picture window. The picture-in-picture window shall be at least one-quarter of the size of the primary video and large enough to clearly see the interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands. The interpreter shall not be blocked or covered by captions, graphics, or other on-screen text, which shall be repositioned if necessary. A broadcaster that rebroadcasts the official announcement shall not be required to independently generate or insert this accessibility feature."

SECTION 2. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Emergency; Official Announcements; Broadcast Media; American Sign Language; Sign Language Interpreter

Description:

Requires the Governor or mayor of a county, during a state of emergency, to provide an American Sign Language interpreter at each live broadcast press conference. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to provide a primary pool feed for any live official announcement that includes an American Sign Language interpreter in a picture-in-picture window, and does not require broadcasters that rebroadcast the official announcement to independently generate or insert this accessibility feature. Requires, to the fullest extent possible, that the American Sign Language interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are visible. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

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