Communication legislation approved by Florida House of Represent - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A warning about pizza and a big bear is prompting a bill addressing how Florida communicates with hearing impaired residents.

The state House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill this week that would require the officials to include a qualified sign language interpreter at TV hurricane briefings.

This comes after news accounts of a sign language interpreter who signed gibberish during a televised briefing in Manatee County, as Hurricane Irma approached.

Democratic representative Richard Stark says that while he first chuckled at the news account, for hearing-impaired residents "this is anything but funny."

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