Bill Text: NY A02125 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Enacts the accessible electronic information act for blind and disabled persons; creates a new fund in the state finance law; authorizes a not-for-profit entity to administer the program.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-17 - print number 2125a [A02125 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A02125-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2125
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 17, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. PRETLOW, LUPARDO, BENEDETTO, ABINANTI -- Multi-
          Sponsored by -- M. of A. LUPINACCI -- read once and  referred  to  the
          Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the public service law and the state finance law, in
          relation to enacting the accessible electronic information act
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "accessible electronic information act".
     3    § 2. Legislative finding. The National Federation of the Blind  estab-
     4  lished  the  NFB-NEWSLINE  to  increase the ability of visually impaired
     5  individuals to receive information provided  by  newspapers,  magazines,
     6  journals  and other print media which are traditionally unavailable in a
     7  limited  electronic  broadcast.  Since  2002,  this  vital  service  has
     8  provided visually impaired New Yorkers with information on job listings,
     9  self-help magazines, do-it-yourself guides, political magazines, several
    10  newspapers,  TV  guide listings, and other literary necessities that all
    11  sighted New Yorkers have enjoyed. This  legislation  provides  a  stable
    12  means to bring NEWSLINE to New York.
    13    § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 92-h to
    14  read as follows:
    15    § 92-h. Accessible electronic information; blind and disabled persons.
    16  1.  A  qualified not-for-profit entity capable of providing such service
    17  shall provide an accessible electronic information service for  eligible
    18  blind  and disabled persons. This service shall be planned for continua-
    19  tion from year to year and make maximum use of federal,  state,  private
    20  and  other funds available, including obtaining grant or in-kind support
    21  from appropriate programs and securing  access  to  low-cost  interstate
    22  rates for telecommunications by reimbursement or otherwise.
    23    2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the follow-
    24  ing meanings, unless otherwise indicated:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04231-01-7
        A. 2125                             2
     1    (a)  "Accessible  electronic information service" means news and other
     2  timely information (including newspapers) provided to eligible  individ-
     3  uals  from  a multi-state service center, using high-speed computers and
     4  telecommunications technology for interstate acquisition of content  and
     5  rapid distribution in a form appropriate for use by such individuals;
     6    (b)  "Blind  and  disabled  persons"  means  those individuals who are
     7  eligible for library loan services through the Library of  Congress  and
     8  the  State  Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped pursuant to
     9  36 CFR 701.10(b);
    10    (c) "Director" means the director of the selected not-for-profit enti-
    11  ty;
    12    (d) "Qualified entity" means a not-for-profit entity within this state
    13  capable of providing accessible electronic information services which:
    14    (i) provides interstate access for  eligible  persons  to  read  daily
    15  newspapers producing audio editions by computer, and
    16    (ii)  provides  a means of program administration and reader registra-
    17  tion on the internet.
    18    § 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-aa to
    19  read as follows:
    20    § 99-aa. Accessible electronic information service fund.  1. There  is
    21  hereby  established  in  the  custody of the state comptroller a special
    22  revenue fund to be  known  as  the  "accessible  electronic  information
    23  service fund".
    24    2.  Funding  for  the  accessible  electronic information service fund
    25  shall be obtained from:
    26    a. The Targeted Accessibility Fund, Inc., established  by  the  public
    27  service  commission in its "order and opinion 98-10" in an amount deemed
    28  appropriate for the purpose  of  providing  electronic  distribution  of
    29  newspapers, periodicals, time sensitive materials, and other information
    30  which may be of benefit to the community; and
    31    b.  The  New  York  state commission for the blind in an amount deemed
    32  appropriate by the commissioner for providing electronic distribution of
    33  newspapers, periodicals, time sensitive materials, and other information
    34  which may be of benefit to the community.
    35    3. Nothing contained in this section  shall  prevent  the  state  from
    36  receiving  grants, gifts or bequests and depositing them into the acces-
    37  sible electronic information service fund according to law.
    38    4. The accessible electronic information service fund shall be  admin-
    39  istered  by  the  public  service  commission,  in consultation with the
    40  director and the commissioner, in accordance with this section.
    41    5. The public service commission shall require companies  who  provide
    42  telecommunication  services to blind and disabled persons, as defined in
    43  paragraph (b) of subdivision two of section ninety-two-h of  the  public
    44  service  law,  including but not limited to, certified telecommunication
    45  carriers, cable television companies that offer telephone  service,  and
    46  other  companies the public service commission deems to be a provider of
    47  telecommunication services, to contribute to the Targeted  Accessibility
    48  Fund,  Inc.  for  the purpose of increasing funding to comply with para-
    49  graph a of subdivision two of this section.
    50    § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    51  have  become  a  law.    Effective  immediately, the addition, amendment
    52  and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
    53  of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or  before
    54  such effective date.