The public may soon have access to video recordings for all University of Hawaii Board of Regents meetings.

The board oversees the UH system, and meets at least 10 times a year on Oahu, Hawaii island, Maui and Kauai. Senate Bill 2573 would require the board to broadcast live from all meeting locations, archive the recordings, and later make the recordings available on the regents’ website.

In written testimony on the bill, the board cited challenges because of the cost, and the difficulty of setting up camera equipment in diverse locations. Some of the meetings are held in classrooms and other facilities.

“Broadcasting meetings in live video format would require more financial and human resource than audio,” according to the board testimony. “Long-term archiving of digital files would also result in additional costs.” The board also noted the broadcasts must include captioning to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

So far the university has not provided a specific cost estimate, and a spokesman for the UH declined to elaborate on the board’s written testimony on the bill.

Senate Higher Education Committee Chairwoman Donna Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa) said the board has a “transparency issue with the public.”

Kim gave the board a deadline of May to provide audio recordings of the meetings, and a spokesman said the board has been looking into that, and will have it done by April.

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Wahiawa­-Whitmore-Mililani Mauka) said he expects the bill mandating live streaming may succeed this legislative session.

“I think everyone wants transparency and live streaming is not an obstacle,” he said.

“They should do it with no cost.”