Report Title:

Disaster Preparedness

Description:

Making a grant to KNDI radio station to facilitate disaster preparedness by preparing foreign language broadcasts of emergency messages.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1794
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO Disaster preparedness.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that, in an emergency situation or during a natural disaster, emergency messages from the State need to be broadcast in many different languages to advise all members of the population in Hawaii.  Currently, KNDI Radio, 1270 AM, a radio station on Oahu is the preeminent foreign language radio station in the State.  It broadcasts daily programming in many languages, including Filipino, Ilocano, Spanish, Tagalog, Visayan, Tongan, Marshallese, Laotian,   Samoan, Okinawan, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Vietnamese, and Chinese.  KNDI broadcasts at five thousand megahertz and its signal reaches all of the counties.  The station is currently situated to be a primary source of multi-language emergency messages and updates because it has one of the largest audience of foreign language listeners in the State.

     The purpose of this Act is to award grants to KNDI Radio for the purpose of translating and broadcasting multi-language emergency messages and updates, and to purchase two generators so that the station can continue to broadcast multi-language emergency messages and updates across the State in the event of a power outage.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, as a grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to KNDI Radio for the purposes of preparing and broadcasting emergency messages and updates across the State in multiple languages.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of defense for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $140,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 as a grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to KNDI Radio for the purpose of purchasing two generators to be used in the event of a power outage for the transmission of multi-language emergency messages and updates across the State to foreign language listeners, as follows:

     1.   Purchase of a generator at the

          King Street studio location                  $90,000

     2.   Purchase of a generator at the

          Hart Street transmitter                      $50,000

     The sum appropriated shall be expended the department of defense for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:

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