Video & Transcript Research : 'app accessibility'

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TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • If it was Kirk County, did you have SO access in Kirk County?
  • And everybody has to be on the same page to access the grant.
  • You can think of that as a pre-app.
  • So it's accessible from the Synoptic system, it's also accessible from our internal TWA.
  • Lack of access to local channels.
Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Criminal Justice and Public Safety (05/23/2025)

Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • access um and get their stuff. access um and get their stuff.
  • for best practices where accessibility for best practices where accessibility works<00:14:39.519
  • special task force for accessible special task force for accessible parking<00:15:51.600> and<
  • They just say van accessible. Correct. They just say van accessible. Correct.
  • you've mentioned are also uh accessible you've mentioned are also uh accessible and<00:57:15.200
Keywords: 1189, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Transit operation consolidation 3/11/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • downtown Minneapolis because it's a metro transit and how they make that transition with different apps
  • c> different they make that transition with different they make that transition with different apps
  • <00:44:05.480> It apps and different things like that.
  • It apps and different things like that.
Keywords: 1183, house
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 1/21/25

Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • I would ask you all to go to that app, and I'm sure maybe one of the testifiers can share on what we're
  • 26.440> that facing I would ask you all to go to that facing I would ask you all to go to that app
  • 00:03:27.599> maybe<00:03:27.840> one<00:03:27.959> of<00:03:28.080> the app
  • and I'm sure maybe one of the app and I'm sure maybe one of the testifiers<00:03:28.840> can<
Keywords: 1183, house
Summary: The House Energy Finance and Policy Committee met to approve the January 16 minutes and then heard House File 9, which was referred to the Committee on Taxes after the committee’s action. The bill was presented as an energy policy measure aimed at reliability and affordability. It would expand hydroelectric power’s eligibility under the state’s energy standard, delay certain carbon-free compliance requirements for utilities that do not meet a retail rate benchmark, prohibit local permits to demolish fossil fuel plants under certain conditions, state support for carbon capture and sequestration without creating a state funding obligation, end the nuclear moratorium, and expand the sales tax exemption for residential natural gas and electricity used as primary heat year-round starting after June 30, 2026. The committee also took up and adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which clarified that the carbon capture language does not obligate state spending. The bill’s sponsor argued that Minnesota’s current energy policy is driving up costs and threatening reliability, especially during extreme cold, and said the bill would create “off-ramps” from existing mandates to protect ratepayers and businesses. He cited reliability concerns, MISO/NERC risk assessments, rising utility rates, and the need for an all-of-the-above energy approach, including hydro and nuclear. He also said the bill would reduce taxes by broadening the sales tax exemption for residential heating. Testimony was mixed but generally focused on reliability, affordability, and the role of nuclear power. The Minnesota Rural Electric Association and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce supported the bill’s emphasis on keeping power reliable and affordable, with both saying Minnesota needs dispatchable, carbon-free resources and noting concerns about high electricity costs and future demand from data centers and AI. The Prairie Island Indian Community opposed lifting the nuclear moratorium without a viable waste solution, describing the long-term burden of spent nuclear fuel on its community and asking for more consultation. Xcel Energy said its nuclear plants have operated safely and reliably for decades, support low-cost and low-carbon power, and could be part of the state’s energy transition, but it emphasized the need for tribal participation and said decisions about retiring fossil plants should remain within the existing Public Utilities Commission resource planning process.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Banking and Insurance Mar 25th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • On a publicly accessible website, this will help increase consumer trust in the insurance market by providing
  • clear more accessible information on I ours website.
  • Comprehensive Reese, a comprehensive resource center and access to rate filing information.
  • We all acknowledge there's a myriad of data points that could be accessed.
  • I would really urge would you begin to bring in for a yes, yes, my final comments app.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate Chamber Feb 5th, 2025

New Mexico Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • they're here or whether they're able to participate, that we suspend all activity if there isn't access
  • To participate, that we suspend all activity if there isn't access to the webcast or audio.
  • His father, Drew Loveless, is the acting director of the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion.
  • to establish rights of children to include health care, nutrition, safe housing, transportation to access
  • The app is on your iPad.
CO

Colorado 2026 Regular Session

Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 111 May 4th, 2026

Colorado Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Three, no, zero apps, zero 32 eyes.
  • So we need to have as part of this policy a way to restrict access and track access of video that is
  • which um you can track access to video. which um you can track access to video. you<02:29:27.760
  • access and track access way to restrict access and track access of<02:30:20.960> video<02:30:21.359
  • <02:30:37.760> with access and tracking who's accessing with access and tracking who's accessing
Keywords: 981, all
Summary: The Senate came to order, established a quorum, and approved the journal. It then took up several introductions and resolutions, including House Bill 1139 on artificial intelligence in healthcare and House Bill 1263 on requirements for conversational AI services, both referred to the Business, Labor, and Technology Committee. The chamber also moved out of order to consider resolutions and adopted Senate Joint Resolution 25, recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Colorado Mining Association and its role in Colorado’s history and economy. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate also adopted House Joint Resolution 1030, designating a portion of Colorado Highway 14 in Weld County as Mono and Matt Road in memory of Eduardo Mono Hernandez and Matthew Garcia. Supporters described the resolution as a tribute to the two Greeley Central High School student-athletes and to the community’s response after their 2014 deaths. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. Later, the Senate considered a gubernatorial appointment to the Transportation Commission: Juan Marano of Aurora, to represent the Third Transportation District. The appointment was confirmed on a 19-16 vote. The chamber then took up the third-reading consent calendar and passed House Bill 1235 on medical assistance updates, House Bill 1299 on reducing regulatory burdens on local education providers, and Senate Bill 175 on workers’ compensation experience modification factors. House Bill 1235 passed 31-4, House Bill 1299 passed 35-0, and Senate Bill 175 passed without recorded opposition. On final passage, the Senate adopted a technical third-reading amendment to House Bill 113 on election law changes, then passed the bill 23-12 after debate over election-related vulnerabilities. It also passed House Bill 1346, allowing the Department of the Treasury to sell unsold insurance premium tax credits to non-insurance entities, by 23-12; House Bill 1252, updating state entities responsible for emergency response, by 33-2; House Bill 1010, increasing support for older adults in the workforce, by 23-12; and Senate Bill 177, concerning limited access to adjoining property for repairs, after extended debate in which Senator Kirkmeyer argued the measure infringed on private property rights and should be rejected.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • We want to have access to a lot of the tools that are out there that our youth are using.
  • Access by minors is not a bug; it is a feature of the intoxicating hemp model.
  • We want to We want to make sure that they have access to them.
  • We want to who would like to have access to these products that are wellness products.
  • We want to make sure that they have access to them.
Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard several bills focused on AI, immigration-related health care protections, digital financial assets, and online cannabis/hemp sales. SB 69 by Senator McNerney would create an AI-focused team within the Department of Justice to build enforcement expertise on civil rights, public safety, and legal issues tied to AI. SB 81 by Senator Arreguín would codify hospital and health facility policies limiting disclosure of patient immigration status and restricting immigration enforcement access without a judicial warrant. SB 97 by Senator Grayson would update and clarify California’s digital financial assets licensing law. SB 243 by Senator Padilla would impose guardrails on AI companion chatbots, including disclosures, anti-addictive design limits, self-harm protocols, and a private right of action. SB 378 by Senator Wiener would allow civil penalties against online marketplaces that advertise illicit intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Testimony on SB 69 emphasized that California needs in-house AI enforcement expertise at the DOJ; supporters said AG offices generally lack tech-policy specialists, while members asked about the Attorney General’s role and noted the office was neutral. SB 81 drew broad support from nurses, immigrant advocates, hospitals, labor, and community groups, who argued that hospitals should remain safe places for care regardless of immigration status; there was no opposition. SB 97 was described as a technical cleanup bill with stakeholder consensus, and the main public comment focused on ensuring blockchain-based nonfinancial products are not unintentionally swept into the law. SB 243 generated the most debate. Supporters, including the mother of a Florida teen who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot, urged stronger protections for minors and vulnerable users. Opponents argued the bill’s definitions were too broad and could capture general-purpose AI systems, and raised concerns about privacy, cost, and a private right of action. Committee members largely supported the bill’s intent and discussed the need for guardrails without stifling innovation. SB 378 was supported by cannabis workers, retailers, and local government representatives who said online sales of untested intoxicating hemp and illegal cannabis are harming public health and the legal market; opponents from hemp and tech groups argued the bill could sweep in lawful hemp businesses and that definitions need refinement. The committee ultimately passed SB 69, SB 81, SB 97, SB 243, and SB 378, with SB 81 and SB 243 amended, and all five bills were sent onward to their next committees.
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • And we see that one—we have a large amount of access with a 3.
  • So we have people there to help and are able to do that, and they have access to it.
  • having access to get support to answer some paperwork questions.
  • We just got access to... I am in the process of learning it.
  • We just got access to Goalbook this year.
Keywords: 908, all
Summary: The committee met to discuss special education funding and retention, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and then hearing a presentation from North Dakota United on a statewide special education survey and retention rubric. Presenters described how the rubric and survey were developed from special educator input around four domains: paperwork and due process support, workload, student and staff safety, and paraprofessional management. They reported high levels of stress and burnout, including increased workload, difficulty taking prep and lunch time, concerns about mental health, and widespread difficulty filling special education positions. Committee members questioned the survey’s lack of a general-education comparison group, the interpretation of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes,” and whether results could be broken down further by district size, unit, or disability area. The survey results showed the weakest area was workload, with respondents reporting caseloads increasing without corresponding adjustments, little additional support or compensation when workloads rise, and few negotiated-agreement protections. Paperwork and due process also scored poorly, with many teachers saying they rarely receive dedicated time during the duty day, often work outside contract hours without compensation, and take work home on evenings and weekends. Student and staff safety scored somewhat better but still showed gaps in crisis follow-up, notification about violent behavior, protective gear, and leave options after incidents. Paraprofessional management also drew concern, especially low pay, insufficient staffing, limited administrative support, and the burden placed on teachers to supervise and train paras. Several teachers then testified directly about the practical impact of these issues. One special education teacher described the job as combining instruction, legal compliance, and paraprofessional supervision, often requiring work beyond contracted hours and contributing to burnout and turnover. Another testified that special education case managers are effectively doing three full-time jobs and that the paperwork and caseload demands are a major reason people avoid or leave the field. Committee members discussed whether the problems are primarily local or state-level, whether more funding would solve them, and whether changes to the funding formula or weighting for high-cost students might be needed. No formal vote or action was taken beyond a recess and return to order for the next presentation, which continued the discussion of possible special education study objectives and potential policy directions.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JHA Public Hearing - Tue Mar 3, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • never going to stop 100% of the scams, whether it's at a bank teller or a Zelle or, you know, Cash App
  • to these financial and don't have access to these financial services.<00:46:42.800> And<00:46
  • This measure requires certain social media platforms to provide an accessible mechanism for users to
  • This measure requires certain social media platforms to provide an accessible mechanism for users to
  • How would they be notified if they're not even able to access this provision?
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. HB 1957, relating to safe entryways, would create enforcement procedures in large cities to prevent personal property from blocking private doorways or entrances. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended moving the offense to the criminal code, adding clearer definitions to avoid vagueness, and including notice, inventory, storage, and property-disposition procedures to address constitutional concerns. No other testimony was offered and no questions were raised. HB 25003/HB 253, relating to fireworks, would expand civil asset forfeiture for certain fireworks offenses, revise the definition of aerial device, and clarify air-delivery offenses. The Attorney General supported the bill but suggested removing the 25-pound weight threshold to avoid unequal treatment of similar offenses. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity for evolving fireworks investigations and prosecutions. The committee took no action during testimony. HB 2137, relating to artificial intelligence, would prohibit certain harmful uses of realistic AI-generated digital imitations, require disclosures, and create civil remedies and fines. The Commission on the Status of Women supported the bill, while the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women opposed it on First Amendment grounds. The Motion Picture Association, Recording Industry Association of America, and SAG-AFTRA also opposed the bill but said they preferred a different framework, the federal “No Fakes” model, and were willing to work with the committee on amendments. The Attorney General had suggested constitutional amendments, which the chair said would be considered later. The committee also heard HB 2198 on prediction markets, with the Honolulu prosecutor strongly supporting inclusion of prediction markets in the gambling definition because of concerns about speculative betting on events and national security-related outcomes. HB 1511 on consumer protection drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and the Insurance Division, with OCP proposing clearer disclosure for license and registration renewal solicitations. HB 1897 on condominium alternative dispute resolution received supportive comments from the Real Estate Commission and CI. HB 1642 on crypto kiosks drew strong support from OCP and AARP Hawaii for a ban on kiosks accepting U.S. currency, but opposition from Hill Ventures, which argued for regulation and guardrails instead of a ban. HB 1753 on social media account deletion received supportive comments from DCCA on clarifying deletion of unique identifiers and inferences. HB 1654 on anonymous complaints against public employees drew strong opposition from the Attorney General over implementation and due process concerns, while the Government Employees Association supported it as a way to screen baseless complaints; the committee then moved on to HB 1659 on collective bargaining, with testimony beginning as the transcript ended.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Session Day 42 (3-9-26)

Kentucky House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • :13.720> will<00:40:13.880> have In our communities, when kids will have these toxic apps
  • Would YouTube be covered under this as a social media app?
  • . >> Gentlemen, what forms or information do these contractors or cities, counties currently have access
  • 32.400> counties<00:53:33.240> currently<00:53:33.600> have<00:53:33.800> access
  • cities, counties currently have access cities, counties currently have access to<00:53:35.160>
Keywords: 958, all
MI

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

Labor 26-06-18

Labor

Transcript Highlights:
  • the multiple communication modes utilized for work: mobile phone, text, various messaging or social apps
  • The bill essentially prohibits an employer from requiring an employee to access or respond to an email
  • Prohibits an employer from requiring an employee to access or respond to an email, text message, group
  • So it's the access as the keyword that I guess I wanted to get your thoughts on.
  • If it was and, if it was access and respond, then it would be the response.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor met with a quorum, adopted the June 4 minutes, and then took up Senate Bill 948, the Workplace Employees Boundaries Act (WEB Act), after adopting an S-1 substitute by a 4-1 vote. Senator Geis presented the bill as a Michigan “right to disconnect” measure that would generally bar employers from requiring employees to access or respond to work communications outside usual work hours, allow employees to set availability hours, prohibit retaliation, direct LEO to write rules, and provide complaint and enforcement procedures with exceptions for emergencies and existing collective bargaining agreements. In questioning, Senator Albert raised concerns about how the bill would apply in small businesses and practical situations like staffing calls, school notifications, and emergency-like circumstances; Geis said the bill was meant to protect non-work time while preserving emergency carve-outs and informational messages. NFIB’s Amanda Fisher opposed the bill, arguing it was too broad, difficult to define across industries and schedules, potentially duplicative of existing wage-and-hour law, and likely to create confusion and reduce flexibility, especially for small employers. The committee then shifted to testimony on health care workforce and labor disputes. Nurses from Teamsters Local 332 described a 291-day strike at Henry Ford/Genesis over safe staffing, return-to-work terms, and alleged union-busting, saying the hospital’s staffing levels and use of replacement workers threatened patient safety and could displace experienced specialty nurses. Michigan Nurses Association president Aaron McCormick and Marquette RN union president Christina Hanson said Michigan’s problem is not a shortage of licensed nurses but of nurses willing to stay in overworked, hostile workplaces; they cited retaliation, slow grievance/arbitration processes, hospital consolidation, rural OB closures, and unsafe staffing ratios as drivers of burnout and departures. They urged stronger protections and faster dispute resolution, especially given the limited effectiveness of the NLRB and delays in labor processes. Additional testimony came from UAW Local 4911’s Kim Wheeler, who said UMH Sparrow was outsourcing two low-paid support groups—patient transport/housekeeping and food and nutrition—despite their importance to hospital operations and despite a recently ratified contract, and asked for transparency and limits on corporate outsourcing. Don Hill of SEIU Health Care Michigan described chronic understaffing in nursing homes, mandatory overtime, burnout, retaliation fears, and the need for enforceable patient-to-staff ratios and stronger wage support; he also noted that home care workers are negotiating first contracts after restored bargaining rights. The committee took no vote on SB 948 beyond adopting the substitute, heard extensive testimony, and adjourned without further business.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee Feb 11th, 2026

State Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, and by doing that, you can get on apps like FlightAware, anything else, and you can see tail numbers
  • So anybody that can access the information that is broadcast by the equipment, they can do that.
  • <00:14:17.199> anybody<00:14:17.600> that<00:14:17.920> can<00:14:18.160> access
  • <00:14:18.720> the So anybody that can access the So anybody that can access the information
  • It has access to it.
Bills: SB223, SB271, SB223, SB271
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Health Finance and Policy Committee 2/24/25

Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • :09:40.519> a So this isn't a person that's in the office every day; it's somebody you can access
  • And this isn't a simple service that you can just set up an Uber app on and take care of. this because
  • set<00:43:11.800> up<00:43:11.960> an<00:43:12.119> Uber<00:43:12.520> app
  • <00:43:12.760> on that you can just set up an Uber app on that you can just set up an Uber
  • app on and<00:43:13.160> take<00:43:13.400> care<00:43:13.599> of<00:43:14.240>
Keywords: 1183, house
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • We'll also have an update from the Secretary of State on the Cal-Access Replacement System and the NAP
  • on the student loan program, the 4.6, is there anybody up here who can tell us how the public can access
  • Kaylee App, Department of Finance.
  • We are on issue number 8, Cal Access Replacement System, the CARS project. Welcome. Thank you.
  • Although Cal Access is pretty archaic, it's still functional if you know how to navigate it.
Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration heard a series of budget change proposals and trailer bill items, beginning with Housing and Community Development (HCD) requests. HCD sought permanent authority for seven existing temporary positions to support the HCD Connect IT system, and a separate proposal to fund implementation of eight 2025 housing-related laws with $4.2 million General Fund and 16 positions, plus $470,000 one-time General Fund. Members asked about how HCD Connect would interact with programs moving to the new Housing Development Finance Committee, and HCD also explained that the estimated cost to implement AB 1053 had been revised downward from about $6 million to $1.9 million because of shared implementation with CalHFA and the new committee structure. The committee also heard a Cal ICH proposal for $339,000 one-time General Fund to implement AB 678 on LGBTQ+ inclusive and culturally competent homelessness services, with testimony emphasizing data gaps and the need for a contract-based approach because HMIS cannot be changed unilaterally. The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation presented three continuation proposals: $15.34 million and 53 positions for the California Consumer Financial Protection Law program, $13.5 million and 51 positions for the Debt Collector Licensing Act program, and $49,000 ongoing for two positions in the broker-dealer/investment adviser education program. Members and the public raised concerns about the size and fairness of debt collector assessments and licensing fees, while DFPI explained the pro rata fee structure, the current license count, and how larger assessments fall on larger firms. Public testimony also supported retaining funding for the Student Loan Empowerment Network and requested funding for a franchise broker registration program. The committee also considered a mandate item involving suspension of a disclosure requirement related to property taxation, and trailer bill language from the Government Operations Agency to amend AB 91 on MENA demographic data collection, with the administration emphasizing data nondisclosure, protection of federal funding, and delayed implementation. The Secretary of State’s office then presented Help America Vote Act funding requests: $10.3 million for VoteCal maintenance and operations and $4.492 million for HAVA spending plans supporting voter education, training, accessibility, auditing, and county assistance. The office also requested $660,000 General Fund to implement AB 1392, which would make voter registration information for elected officials and candidates confidential, and explained the need to modify VoteCal and county election systems. The committee also heard requests to continue the Cal-Access Replacement System with $11.8 million General Fund and to continue the Notary Automation Program Replacement Project with $9.75 million from the Business Fees Fund. Members asked about total project costs, testing, data migration, and the expected November 2026 go-live date for Cal-Access replacement. Votes were taken on the vote-only items once quorum was established, and the committee approved the items considered. The final informational item was an overview from the California Arts Council, which highlighted the agency’s 50th anniversary, its statewide grantmaking, and the economic impact of arts funding. Council staff described Creative Corps, cultural districts, and the role of arts funding in local economies, while members and public witnesses urged increased support, including a request to raise local assistance grant funding to $50 million and to provide additional funding for cultural districts. Testimony emphasized the arts as economic infrastructure, community infrastructure, and a source of civic and cultural vitality across California.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Energy and Natural Resources (01/27/2026)

Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • And if you're the least bit like me, that causes you to fire up the ISO New England app on your phone
  • on my on your phone or the England app on my on your phone or the ISO<01:22:40.800> New<01:22
  • :40.960> England<01:22:41.280> app<01:22:41.520> on<01:22:41.760> your<01
  • :22:42.000> computer<01:22:42.639> and ISO New England app on your computer and ISO New
  • England app on your computer and watch<01:22:43.280> what<01:22:43.840> uh<01:22:44.000
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Oklahoma Education Commission Apr 30th, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Oklahoma Education Commission

Transcript Highlights:
  • Have access to whatever we're doing that night. So, but there, it looks like that we may have two.
  • One of the potential partners, financial partners, asked me if they could have access to the contact
  • Have submitted NSFs prior, and I know many of you have also submitted NS apps in your respected sectors
  • where when we talk AI literacy, there could be maybe an AI literacy course that any learner could access
  • I hope that you can access this link. I'm gonna put it in here. I've been having issues with it.
Keywords: 914, all
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Energy REVISED Apr 9th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Consumers who may not have a lot of access in their neighborhood, and then you're gonna regulate, say
  • We need access to the internet.
  • We needed access to a reliable cellphone signal for safety and for education purposes.
  • to the internet and still needed access to a reliable cellphone service.
  • There's not technology app peetizing it and taking the smell out of it. Not that I'm aware of.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

PBS Info Briefing - Thu Aug 28, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, those are the access to that too.
  • , what emergency access single accesses, what emergency access points<00:55:42.800> do<00:55:42.880
  • Um and accesses where nec necessary.
  • So we both have access to this.
  • which the counties also have access to. which the counties also have access to.
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on hazard mitigation planning and recent tsunami and wildfire threats. Chair Dela Buladi opened by framing the meeting around the need for iterative disaster planning and lessons learned from events such as the Lahaina wildfires, the Puna Coast earthquake/tsunami, and recent wildfire activity. The committee heard first from Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Tomage Magno, who explained the federal and local hazard mitigation planning process, including the requirement for an active five-year mitigation plan to qualify for federal disaster funds. He described the plan as a living document built from prior plans, public and agency outreach, risk and capability assessments, and ongoing updates, with county departments, state agencies, and subject matter experts participating in the process. Magno outlined several FEMA-related mitigation funding programs, including flood mitigation assistance, post-fire assistance, pre-disaster mitigation, revolving loan funds, and dam safety grants. He emphasized that the Hawaii County plan was recently approved by FEMA, that the county council approves the plan, and that the county reviews it annually with a formal revision process beginning in the fourth year. Members asked about how the plan tracks project status, how priorities and funding changes are handled, and whether federal funding programs might be affected by HR1; Magno said the county is proceeding on the assumption that funding will remain available and noted some sources have been reestablished. He also said the county encourages council participation in meetings and planning. Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen then addressed the committee on DOT’s response to a recent tsunami threat, saying the agency had about four hours to prepare before the first wave arrival and was focused on its own operational response rather than the broader statewide planning process. In response to questions, he stated that FHWA funds cannot be used for evacuation routes, which is why prior legislative funding was important. Members also discussed specific mitigation projects such as fire breaks, bridge retrofits, and the Singing Bridge, with DOT noting that work is underway and that a replacement bridge upstream is being planned to carry traffic during repairs. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the informational briefing.