Report Title:

Disaster Warnings; Text Messages

Description:

Requires cellular telephone service providers to text message their customers in the event of a disaster.  Requires cellular telephone service providers biannually to conduct a test of this service in conjunction with testing by the department of defense.  (HB573 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	573
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO DISASTER WARNINGS.

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

     SECTION 1.  Chapter 128, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§128-    Disaster warnings; text messaging. (a)  Beginning July 1, 2008, in the event of a civil defense emergency for which a warning is issued to the public, all cellular telephone service providers in the state shall transmit a text message to their customers in the state advising them that a civil defense emergency warning has been issued.

(b)  All cellular telephone service providers in the state shall test the emergency text messaging system described in subsection (a) twice each year, and each test shall coincide with a scheduled department of defense civil defense warning exercise."

    SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.