Bill Text: NJ A4856 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Requires Internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-4)

Status: (Passed) 2022-01-18 - Approved P.L.2021, c.461. [A4856 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4856-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4856

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 22, 2020

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  PAMELA R. LAMPITT

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman  RALPH R. CAPUTO

District 28 (Essex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle, Assemblymen McClellan, Simonsen, Conaway, Verrelli, Assemblywoman Dunn, Assemblyman Dancer, Assemblywomen Jasey and Quijano

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on January 25, 2021, with amendments.

  

An Act concerning the accessibility of public school websites and web services and supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  Any Internet website or web service of a school district, charter school, ¹[or]¹ renaissance school ¹, or the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf¹ shall comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, or the most up-to-date version of the guidelines. 

     b.    The Commissioner of Education shall establish a procedure to determine whether the Internet website or web service of a school district, charter school, ¹[or]¹ renaissance school ¹, or the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf¹ complies with the requirements of this section.  The Office of Information Technology in the Department of Education shall be responsible for issuing certifications of compliance, which certifications shall attest that an Internet website or web service complies with the requirements of ¹[the] this¹ section.

     c.     (1)  If a school district, charter school, ¹[or]¹ renaissance school ¹, or the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf¹ establishes or significantly improves an Internet website or web service after the effective date of this act, the public school shall receive a certification of compliance from the office before the Internet website or web service may be considered operational. 

     (2)   Every two years following initial certification, the office shall recertify the compliance of each Internet website or web service operated by a school district, charter school, ¹[or]¹ renaissance school ¹, or the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf¹ with the requirements of this section.

     d.    As used in this section, "Internet website or web service" includes any webpage, website, web service, online curriculum, or online third party or open educational resource product that is made available to enrolled students or the public by a school district, charter school, ¹[or]¹ renaissance school ¹, or the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf¹ through the Internet.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect ¹[immediately] on the first day of the sixth month next following the date of enactment¹.