Employees who certify and provide proof of full vaccination will not be subject to testing requirement All Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) employees will be required to be tested weekly for COVID-19 beginning Aug. 23 to comply with Gov. David Ige's emergency proclamation and to help ensure a safe environment for students and staff, the Department announced today. If an employee can certify and provide proof of full vaccination, the employee will not be subject to the weekly testing requirement. This requirement applies to all HIDOE employees, including salaried and casuals/substitutes, as well as volunteers. "COVID-19 vaccines are the leading public health prevention strategy to stop the pandemic. As Hawaii's largest state agency, the Department of Education plays a critical role in advancing the state's vaccination rate in the fight against COVID," interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. "Encouraging vaccinations and implementing this weekly testing requirement in addition to our core essential strategies will help protect our ability to provide safe, in-person learning for our students." Governor Ige's August 5 emergency proclamation requires all state and county employees to attest and provide proof to their respective department, office, or agency whether they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, partially vaccinated for COVID-19, or not vaccinated for COVID-19. HIDOE employees who opt not to become vaccinated will be required to be tested weekly for COVID-19 at the employee’s expense and during non-work hours. Beginning Aug. 15, employees can begin to access the Department’s electronic human resource system (eHR) to attest to their vaccination status, upload documentation, and/or provide weekly COVID-19 test results. Any documentation related to vaccination status or test results obtained for purposes of this requirement will not be disclosed to individuals other than as necessary to ensure compliance with the governor’s emergency proclamation. All employees were notified today by memorandum of the requirements and other details. HIDOE staff were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines as "frontline essential workers" back in January, giving teachers, bus drivers, custodians and other education staff early access to vaccinations. The Department encouraged everyone willing to be vaccinated to take advantage of the opportunity and worked with the state Department of Health to provide access to vaccination sites. Soon after a vaccine was authorized for adolescents 12 and older, the Department began standing up school-based vaccination clinics in early May to make access as easy and convenient as possible for students and families.

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig today to ask how the Treasury and IRS are working to make sure that people who do not file federal income taxes but are eligible to receive the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) are getting their payments. This letter is sent as the second round of CTC payments is expected to be delivered to families tomorrow. The Senator noted that while more than 35 million families with children have received their first advance payment, and Treasury and IRS have been working to raise awareness about these payments in communities across the country, more must be done to make sure that all communities are included. Her letter also specifically asks about outreach Treasury and the IRS have conducted to organizations that support Native Hawaiians, as well as citizens of the Freely Associated States. “These efforts have been important to making sure low-income taxpayers, those from minority and underserved communities, and those who do not speak English receive their payments,” Senator Hirono wrote. Senator Hirono continued, “I acknowledge these efforts, but more must be done to make sure non-filers receive their payments. Many of the same individuals who face the most significant barriers to receiving the payments would also benefit the most from the payments—which could mean the difference between being able to pay the rent or put food on the table during difficult times.” The full letter can be found here or below: Dear Secretary Yellen and Commissioner Rettig: Last month families started to receive advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments thanks to the efforts of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Congressional Democrats. Studies have shown if the expanded CTC reaches intended families in the United States, child poverty in America could be reduced by nearly half this year. Given the enormous opportunity to deliver for our families, I am interested in gaining a clearer understanding of how the Treasury Department (Treasury) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plan to ensure eligible non-filers receive their CTC payments for 2021. During the last year and a half, individuals and families have suffered due to the health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Small businesses closed, family wage earners lost their jobs, and loved ones died as a result of the coronavirus. Without access to child care, millions of individuals, particularly women, were forced to leave the workforce. Challenges remain and still need to be addressed as we continue to recover. Earlier this year Congressional Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (P.L. 117-2), which included a historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). ARPA increased the CTC for 2021, made the credit fully refundable for one year, and provided for regular advance payments from July 2021 through December 2021—among other changes. IRS recently reported that more than 35 million families with children have received their advance payments. Treasury and IRS have taken steps to ensure individuals who do not normally file federal income taxes (“non-filers”) receive their expanded CTC payments by creating an online portal for them to register their information; conducting outreach with community organizations, nonprofits, and churches; sharing online information in several different languages; and holding special events to raise awareness about the expanded payments. These efforts have been important to making sure low-income taxpayers, those from minority and underserved communities, and those who do not speak English receive their payments. I acknowledge these efforts, but more must be done to make sure non-filers receive their payments. Many of the same individuals who face the most significant barriers to receiving the payments would also benefit the most from the payments—which could mean the difference between being able to pay the rent or put food on the table during difficult times. For these reasons, I write to request detailed information about Treasury and IRS’s efforts to make sure non-filers receive payments. Please provide answers to the following questions by August 26, 2021: 1) What specific outreach did Treasury/IRS conduct between March 11, 2021, and August 12, 2021, to make sure individuals who do not normally file federal income taxes (“non-filers”) receive their expanded CTC payments? 2) What specific outreach will Treasury/IRS conduct between August 12, 2021, and December 15, 2021, to make sure non-filers receive their expanded payments? 3) What specific outreach will Treasury/IRS conduct after December 15, 2021, to make sure non-filers receive their expanded payments? 4) What specific outreach has Treasury/IRS conducted to tribal and community organizations that work directly with non-filers who are Native American—including those who are American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian? 5) What specific outreach has Treasury/IRS conducted to community organizations that work directly with non-filers who are citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS)? 6) How will Treasury/IRS make sure non-filers receive the full amount of their expanded payments after December 15, 2021? a. Do Treasury/IRS have the authority to use information from the “CTC Non-Filer Sign-up Tool” to provide payments after December 15, 2021? b. Do Treasury/IRS have the authority to use the Automated Substitute for Return Program (ASRP) to provide payments after December 15, 2021—particularly for non-filers who receive advance payments this year but do not file federal income tax returns for 2021? c. How will Treasury/IRS make sure non-filers who receive advance payments this year but do not file federal income tax returns for 2021 are not held liable for returning those payments? 7) What additional steps, if any, will non-filers be required to take to receive the full amount of their payments—including for those who provide their information through the CTC Non-Filer Sign-up Tool? How will Treasury/IRS communicate these requirements to non-filers? 8) Do Treasury/IRS have the authority to provide regular payments to non-filers after December 15, 2021? I urge you to make the process for non-filers to receive payments as straightforward as possible as we continue to recover from the pandemic. I look forward to your responses. Sincerely,

For video of the news conference click here For photos of the news conference click here Gov. David Ige today signed Executive Order 21-05 setting statewide limits for social gatherings, restaurants, bars, and social establishments. “The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has changed the course of the pandemic in Hawaiʻi. We are seeing case numbers in the 600s – the highest numbers we’ve seen since this pandemic began,” said Gov. Ige. “This requires immediate and serious attention to avert unmanageable strains on our healthcare system and other catastrophic impacts to the state.” The following measures will take effect immediately: • Social gatherings will be limited to no more than 10 people indoors and no more than 25 outdoors. • Patrons in restaurants bars and social establishments must remain seated with parties maintaining at least 6 ft distancing between groups (with maximum groups size of 10 indoors and 25 outdoors); there will be no mingling, and masks must be worn at all times except when actively eating or drinking. • The counties will review proposals for all professionally sponsored events for more than 50 people, to ensure that appropriate safe practices will be implemented. Organizers of these professional events must notify and consult with the following county agencies prior to the event. County approval is required for professional events for more than 50 people. Professional Events Contacts: City and County of Honolulu: City Call Center: 768-CITY (2489). https://www.oneoahu.org/mitigation-plan County of Maui: Email: mayors.office@co.maui.hi.us Call: 808-270-7855 County of Hawaiʻi: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d5823afc128d4c4baf63565393562794 County of Kauaʻi: Kauaʻi EMA – 808-241-1800 • For all high-risk activities, indoor capacity is set at 50%. This includes bars, restaurants, gyms, and social establishments. These limitations apply statewide and will be implemented as defined by each county and in accordance with definitions specified by each county. Additionally, the counties will enforce these measures pursuant to county orders, rules, and directives that identify penalties for each county. Statewide limitations will not affect the counties’ COVID-19 policies regarding weddings, churches or other structured events. The Executive Order will remain in place until Oct. 18, unless superseded by a subsequent order.

Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (District 8 – Kauaʻi and Niʻihau) announced today that the Governor has released $3.18 million in capital improvement project (CIP) monies for three sports facilities on Kauaʻi. The three CIP projects that received funding are: $1,680,000 for wind strength upgrades at Kīlauea Gymnasium $1,000,000 for new amenities at Hanapēpē Stadium $500,000 to finance a new sports complex in Anahola “In working with my Kauaʻi counterparts in the House, I am very happy that we were able to secure the funding needed to upgrade the sports facilities in our communities,” said Senate President Kouchi. “Our Kauaʻi athletes deserve the best and I look forward to seeing these projects break ground soon.”

To combat the rise in COVID-19 cases on O‘ahu and further protect the members of our communities, all City and County of Honolulu employees will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated, have completed a single-dose vaccine or initiated the first dose of a two-dose series by Aug. 16, 2021. Employees opting for the two-dose series must receive their second shot by Sept. 16, 2021. City employees with medical or religious reasons for not taking the vaccine will be subject to mandatory testing once a week and must request an exemption from the City by Aug. 16, 2021. For these employees exempt from the vaccine requirement, details on City and County testing options will be disseminated by their departments. “The health and safety of our City workforce and the communities they serve is our top priority,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “That is why we must take swift action to protect as many people as possible from the harmful effects of COVID-19, especially because of the highly contagious and dangerous Delta variant. Coronavirus vaccinations are safe, easy, and effective. Almost all of the cases, hospitalizations, and deaths we are seeing are among the unvaccinated. Please do not take an unnecessary risk - sign up to get vaccinated today. We want to thank those who have already taken the steps to protect themselves and those around them by getting vaccinated.” Consistent with the CDC, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. These vaccine requirements for City employees are enforceable through disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Mask rules, sanitizing measures, and physical distancing will continue to be enforced at City and County of Honolulu facilities. To find a vaccination site, visit https://www.oneoahu.org/.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) and its federal, state, city and community partners kicked off the 12th annual statewide Pedestrian Safety Month this August with a sign waving at the State Capitol Monday, Aug. 2. Pedestrian Safety Month is organized by HDOT’s Walk Wise Hawai'i program and features daily public and private pedestrian safety events to share good pedestrian practices and good driving practices when around pedestrians. “As thousands of residents and visitors return to our roadways, drivers must renew their commitment to looking out for our keiki, kupuna, and all pedestrians,” said Jade Butay, Hawai'i State Department of Transportation Director. Although the primary cause for pedestrian crashes is inattentive behavior by both drivers and pedestrians, we urge drivers to put down their cell phones, follow speed limits and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections.” Walk Wise Hawai'i (WWH) focuses throughout the year on pedestrian safety education for seniors and elementary to college age students through “Seven Steps to Safety” presentations. Pedestrians are taught to be aware that, statistically, their major dangers include not paying attention in crosswalks, jaywalking, and not being visible when walking at night. WWH’s sister program, Drive Wise Hawai'i, focuses on driver awareness of pedestrians by sharing seven tips for drivers to be more vigilant when behind the wheel regarding pedestrian safety. Information of both programs can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/walkwisehawaii/ To kick off the campaign’s Drive Wise Hawai'i message, WWH is sharing a video called “Look at Me Now” by local radio personality Krystilez and the members of The Angry Locals. Krystilez was born and raised in Nanakuli and knows many of the victims of pedestrian crashes in his community. The music video helps to reinforce the message to kama‘āina that speeding needs to stop and pedestrian safety is of the utmost importance. The entire video was shot along the Farrington Highway corridor where HDOT installed two raised pedestrian crossings at the T-intersection before Piliokahi Avenue and at the highway’s intersection with Laumania Avenue. The installation of the raised crosswalks provides drivers a physical reminder to reduce their speed as they enter a residential area and improves visibility of pedestrians in the raised crosswalks. In addition to social media outreach, WWH will offer free pedestrian clip-on lights and reflective safety bands in partnership with the City & County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation at public events throughout Pedestrian Safety Month. The Walk Wise Hawai'i “Seven Steps to Safety” brochure and the “Drive Wise Hawai'i” brochure with safety tips for drivers regarding pedestrian movement will also be available at all community events across the state. The brochures and calendar are on the website at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/walkwisehawaii/ Pedestrian Safety Month public partners include the Federal Highway Administration – Hawaii Division, the City & County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services; all County police departments; the Honolulu Police Department’s Community Policing Teams; and Neighborhood Security Watch Teams; and Safe Routes to School. For more information on Walk Wise Hawai'i and a list of Pedestrian Safety Month events, call (808) 587-2160 or visit https://www.facebook.com/WalkWiseHawaii/ About Walk Wise Hawaii Walk Wise Hawaii is HDOT’s public education program focusing on pedestrian safety and driver awareness of pedestrians. It is funded by grants from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA). Walk Wise Hawai'i has employed extensive outreach methods including partnerships with public and private entities since its inception in 2003.

The Hawai'i Department of Transportation, Harbors Division (HDOT) invites the community and interested parties to a meeting to learn more about the concepts being considered for the Honolulu Harbor 2050 Master Plan (HHMP). The HHMP will update the O'ahu Commercial Harbors 2020 Master Plan and will be a critical tool that guides future decision-making for Honolulu Harbor’s use and development. The Master Plan includes improvements needed to address maritime needs, resiliency, and climate change impacts. The meeting is accessible for individuals with disabilities. To request language interpretation, an auxiliary aid or special services (e.g., sign language interpreter), please contact Mr. Michael Dichner at HDOT Harbors Division, 79 South Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI 96813 or by phone at (808) 587-1885 or email at Michael.I.dichner@hawaii.gov. Upon request, this notice is available in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic copy. Live Presentation / Q&A: Wednesday, August 4, 2021, 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Broadcast On: ʻŌlelo Cable Channel 49 and HawaiianTel Channel 1049 Online: www.olelo.org/49 and ʻŌlelo’s mobile app; and via Zoom Visit the honoluluharbormp.com website the week before the meeting for the Zoom link.

The Hawai'i State Senate convened today it’s second special session of 2021 to consider the judicial appointments of Daniel Gluck to the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) and Lesley Maloian to the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Following a five-hour long hearing on Tuesday, July 27, the Senate Committee on Judiciary voted today at it’s decision-making meeting to not recommend that the Senate consent to the appointment of Gluck to the ICA. Senators Rhoads, Gabbard and Lee voted in support of the nominee, while Senators Keohokalole, Acasio, Kim and Fevella voted in opposition. The Committee also voted today to recommend that the Senate consent to the appointment of Lesley Maloian to the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Final Senate votes on the two judicial appointments will take place tomorrow (Thursday, July 29) at 11:00 a.m.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO BRING HEALTH/DIGITAL NAVIGATORS AND TELEHEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) has partnered with the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System and the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to bring COVID-19 health and digital navigators and telehealth services to 15 libraries in underserved and rural areas state wide. The $3.7 million project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address COVID-19 health disparities as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. “This collaboration is a unique opportunity to help Hawai‘i families in underserved communities move towards health and digital equity,” said Sylvia Mann, DOH’s Genomics Section Supervisor. The project will train and employ high school and undergraduate students to be health and digital navigators in their local libraries to help individuals and families learn how to use computers and the internet to access information about COVID-19 and other health concerns, find services and support, and use telehealth services. The libraries will also have designated private rooms and equipment to allow telehealth visits. For families that have devices but no connectivity, the library will have cellular hotspot units that can be borrowed for use at home. The project will start by the end of this year and includes 15 state libraries: Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Hāna, Kīhei, Waimea, Princeville, Hanapēpē, Pāhoa, North Kohala, Hilo, Waiʻanae, Kahuku, Waimānalo, Wahiawā, and Waipahu. To support COVID-19 and other public health activities, mobile clinic vans will be set up in the library parking lots to allow individuals and families to receive in-person and telehealth services, rotating among the libraries on each island. Clinic vans can also be deployed to community sites or even a patient’s home when necessary to provide services. This part of the project will start in 2022 when the customized vans arrive in the state. PDF: Department of Health brings health and digital navigators and telehealth services to underserved communities

Senator Bennette E. Misalucha organizes various community groups to gather and beautify District 16 public school campuses prior to the start of the new school year Senator Bennette E. Misalucha (District 16 - Pearl City, Momilani, Pearlridge ‘Aiea, Royal Summit, ‘Aiea Heights, Newtown, Waimalu, Hālawa and Pearl Harbor) recently announced the creation of a district-wide service initiative called Community Day in Our Schools - A Day of Service, a one-day event to beautify public school campuses, stretching across 4.9 miles from ‘Aiea to Pearl City on Saturday, July 31, 2021 between 8:00 a.m. to noon. “Prior to the start of the new 2021 - 2022 school year on August 3, various community groups will pitch in to paint, clear overgrown landscaping, dispose debris at 10 campuses in our district,” said Senator Misalucha. “I am excited to start this initiative designed to establish a culture of service because when people give of themselves through community service, they feel connected working side by side with their neighbors. It is our hope that Community Day in Our Schools will fill a sense of pride and joy among community members and especially our keiki who are looking forward to returning in the fall.” The 9 participating schools that will welcome one of the community, civic, faith-based or non-profit groups to its campuses are: ‘Aiea Elementary School – Hawai‘i State Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) ‘Aiea High School – ‘Aiea High School ParentTeacher Student Organization / O’ahu County Democrats - Region 5 ‘Aiea Intermediate School Alvah A. Scott Elementary School – Boy Scouts of America, Troop 147 Highlands Intermediate School – The PidgeonProject Lehua Elementary School - Pearlside Church Pearlridge Elementary School – Mana Loa NimitzLions Club Pearl City Highlands Elementary School - Waiau Elementary School – Rotary Club ofPearlridge For more information on the Community Day at Our Schools – A Day of Service, or if interested in volunteering individually or as a group, contact the Office of Senator Misalucha at (808) 586-6230 or email senmisalucha@capitol.hawaii.gov.

KIWIKIU GIVEN UP FOR DEAD DISCOVERED IN MAUI NATURAL AREA RESERVE A remarkable discovery on Wednesday is providing a morale boast and hope to the dozens of experts working to save kiwikiu from extinction. One bird, released into the Nakula Natural Area Reserve (NAR) on the leeward slopes of Haleakalā, was found alive and well, after being thought dead for 605 days. Zach Pezzillo with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP) reported his discovery on July 21. “I first heard what I thought might be a distant kiwikiu song. It then sang about ten times across a gulch in some koa trees. It dropped down into some kolea trees where it spent the next twenty minutes calling and actively foraging through the berries, bark, and leaves. I walked down into the gulch to get a closer look.” Pezzillo looked for the bird’s unique leg bands and sure enough, it was a male bird designated as wild #1 (the first male kiwikiu captured in Hanawi Natural Area Reserve on the windward side of Haleakalā for the 2019 translocation). During the October 2019 kiwikiu translocation, seven wild kiwikiu were released into the NAR. This was part of a larger effort to establish kiwikiu in newly restored forests and to expand the available habitat for the species to help prevent their extinction. Kiwikiu are the rarest forest bird on Maui with a population that may number fewer than 150. The translocation did not go as hoped. The effort was thwarted by the encroachment of avian malaria, which is spread by non-native mosquitoes. Wet, warm weather brought record numbers of mosquitoes to the release site that fall and most of the birds died from the disease. Climate change is fueling the spread of avian malaria and conservationists are trying to save the kiwikiu while the landscape is literally shifting under their feet. Five of the seven wild translocated kiwikiu were found dead. For more than a year and a half scientists assumed the remaining two birds were dead – felled by the disease that killed the others. Researchers continued tracking #1 for two months but after losing the signal from his tracking device and after ground searches failed to turn him up, the team decided to leave the release site. Dr. Hanna Mounce, MFBRP Coordinator said, “This bird has been exposed to disease, as the others were, and has somehow persevered. This is an amazing sign of hope for the species as we still may have time to save them. Work needs to continue avian disease and mosquito control as the rate of survival from malaria is low overall for this species with only one in seven surviving. This is a hopeful sign that a population of kiwikiu and other native forest birds could survive in restored landscapes in the future, especially without mosquitoes and disease.” The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), together with a whole host of partners, has been working on restoring the native ecosystems of leeward Haleakalā for decades, by planting more than 450,000 native koa, ‘ōhi‘a, and other species in the last decade. “Our restored forests are working,” said Scott Fretz, DOFAW Maui District Manager. “For this one kiwikiu to survive, alone for over 600 days, shows those ecosystems can function again. This is exciting news as we press forward to protect and replant the missing pieces and re-weave the green mauna lei so that one day the birds will move on their own.” The rapidly warming climate allows mosquitoes to claim new and higher-elevation territories, driving native forest birds closer to extinction. While alien birds may have immunity, native species don’t, with very few exceptions. David Smith, DOFAW Administrator, commented, “In a different world, we wouldn’t have to manage the romantic life of one bird, or move birds to save them, but this is what people have created and what we inherited. The survival of this single kiwikiu doesn’t change the overall plans for saving the species. Preventing their extinction is the goal of the entire program. #1 shows us that if we have a good, safe habitat for this, they want to survive.” The Kiwikiu Working Group, comprised of experts from a dozen organizations and agencies, revisited and revised their plans after the 2019 translocation attempt. Mounce concluded, “We will carefully analyze what led to the survival of #1, but it’s much too soon to say whether this will change our options for trying to save kiwikiu. We thought we had lost all the translocated birds to malaria, but this one’s survival has given us hope and encouragement, that maybe, just maybe, we can save this incredible species before it’s too late.”

Senator Hirono Secures $85 Million for HDR-H in Senate Armed Services Committee NDAA Markup for Fiscal Year 2022 Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Senate Armed Services Committee added an $85 million authorization for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H) during its markup of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), rejecting the administration’s decision to zero out funding in its budget request for the project. When completed, HDR-H will be a key component of our nation’s ballistic missile defense system against evolving threats from North Korea and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific. This funding will allow the Missile Defense Agency to continue radar production activities, environmental and siting efforts, and provide necessary program support to keep the program’s development on track. The committee-approved NDAA text also directs the Missile Defense Agency Director, in consultation with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander, to provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees on the current and future threats, and the capability that HDR-H provides against future threats. “The people of Hawaii deserve to be protected in an increasingly unpredictable region, and HDR-H remains a crucial part of our nation’s layered defense system. Leaders at INDOPACOM, MDA, and U.S. Forces Korea have all named HDR-H a priority for Hawaii’s protection; yet, when I repeatedly asked DOD to explain why HDR-H was zeroed out or what new system could achieve the same capability, it did not provide a satisfactory explanation,” Senator Hirono said. “I will advocate for HDR-H’s inclusion in the final, Senate-approved NDAA because the entire United States should receive the same level of protection from credible missile detection technology.” Last year, Senator Hirono successfully advocated to reinstate full funding for HDR-H in the Senate Armed Services Committee NDAA markup, eventually securing $133 million and reauthorization of HDR-H after the Trump Administration zeroed out the program.