BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
SB 624 (Anderson) - Accessible state technology
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|Version: February 27, 2015 |Policy Vote: G.O. 9 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: May 26, 2015 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: SB 624 would establish an Office of Accessible
Technology within the Department of Technology. The bill would
require the new Office to provide training to other state
entities and to review other state entities' compliance with
requirements to make information available over the internet
accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Fiscal
Impact: Likely annual costs in the hundreds of thousands per
year for staff in the Office of Accessible Technology to train
other state staff and review compliance (General Fund).
Background: Under current law, the Department of Technology is the lead
state agency for significant information technology projects,
SB 624 (Anderson) Page 1 of
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providing services to other state entities relating to new and
ongoing technology projects, such as managing project
procurement.
Under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 (added
in 1998), federal government entities are required to ensure
that information technology is accessible for persons with
disabilities. (For example, a web page that uses pictures or
graphics should include captions to allow electronic readers to
provide information to individuals with vision impairment to
access information provided in the picture or graphic.)
Current state law requires state entities to comply with the
requirements of Section 508 and related federal regulations with
respect to information technology systems controlled by, or
funded by, state entities.
Proposed Law:
SB 624 would establish an Office of Accessible Technology
within the Department of Technology. The bill would require the
new Office to provide training to other state entities and to
review other state entities' compliance with requirements to
make information available over the internet accessible to
individuals with disabilities.
Specific provisions of the bill would:
Establish the Office of Accessible Technology within the
Department of Technology with the purpose of monitoring
compliance of state information technology with current law
requirements on accessibility;
Require the Office to develop statewide policies;
Require the Office to provide training to chief
information officers of other state entities;
Require the Office to audit compliance of state
information technology with the requirements of current law
relating to accessibility;
Require the Office to manage complaints from state
employees and members of the public;
Make the bill operative only upon an appropriation from
the Legislature.
SB 624 (Anderson) Page 2 of
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Staff
Comments: The Office of Technology Services within the
Department of Technology is in the late stages of developing a
new web publishing platform for use by state entities. According
to the Department, this new system will meet federal Section 508
accessibility requirements.
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