HI SB786

Beginning January 1, 2027, all government records open to public inspection under the Uniform Information Practices Act must be made available in disability-accessible formats upon request for individuals with vision, hearing, or speech disabilities

Governor, Chief Justice, and each county mayor must designate at least one "converting agency" within their government unit responsible for converting records into accessible formats

Response time for government record requests is extended by 5 business days when records are requested in disability-accessible formats, except for records pertaining to board meetings

Appropriates unspecified sums for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to the executive branch, judiciary, and all four counties (Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu) for equipment, training, and 0.5 FTE positions at each converting agency

Requests for proposals for equipment and training must be issued between January 1, 2026 and March 31, 2026, and may be issued jointly by all branches and counties