Assembly Bill A10458

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  10458

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 29, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. PRETLOW, KELLNER, MILLMAN, ORTIZ, WRIGHT, PERRY,
  ROSENTHAL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BRENNAN, DenDEKKER, LUPAR-
  DO, MAISEL, MARKEY, McENENY, WEISENBERG -- 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:

  Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "accessible electronic information act".
  S 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 92-g to
read as follows:
  S 92-G. ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION; BLIND AND DISABLED PERSONS.
1. A QUALIFIED NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITY CAPABLE OF PROVIDING  SUCH  SERVICE
SHALL  PROVIDE AN ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FOR ELIGIBLE
BLIND AND DISABLED PERSONS. THIS SERVICE SHALL BE PLANNED FOR  CONTINUA-
TION  FROM  YEAR TO YEAR AND MAKE MAXIMUM USE OF FEDERAL AND OTHER FUNDS
AVAILABLE  BY  OBTAINING  GRANT  OR  IN-KIND  SUPPORT  FROM  APPROPRIATE
PROGRAMS AND SECURING ACCESS TO LOW-COST INTERSTATE RATES FOR TELECOMMU-
NICATIONS BY REIMBURSEMENT OR OTHERWISE.
  2. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
ING MEANINGS, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED:
  (A)  "ACCESSIBLE  ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE" MEANS NEWS AND OTHER
TIMELY INFORMATION (INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS) PROVIDED TO ELIGIBLE  INDIVID-
UALS  FROM  A MULTI-STATE SERVICE CENTER, USING HIGH-SPEED COMPUTERS AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR INTERSTATE ACQUISITION OF CONTENT  AND
RAPID DISTRIBUTION IN A FORM APPROPRIATE FOR USE BY SUCH INDIVIDUALS;
  (B)  "BLIND  AND  DISABLED  PERSONS"  MEANS  THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
ELIGIBLE FOR LIBRARY LOAN SERVICES THROUGH THE LIBRARY OF  CONGRESS  AND
THE  STATE  LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PURSUANT TO
36 CFR 701.10(B);
  (C) "DIRECTOR" MEANS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SELECTED NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTI-
TY;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02123-01-1
              

A. 10458                            2

  (D) "QUALIFIED ENTITY" MEANS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITY WITHIN THIS STATE
CAPABLE OF PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES WHICH:
  (I)  PROVIDES  INTERSTATE  ACCESS  FOR  ELIGIBLE PERSONS TO READ DAILY
NEWSPAPERS PRODUCING AUDIO EDITIONS BY COMPUTER, AND
  (II) PROVIDES A MEANS OF PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND  READER  REGISTRA-
TION ON THE INTERNET.
  S  3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-t to
read as follows:
  S 99-T. ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FUND.   1. THERE  IS
HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  IN  THE  CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER A SPECIAL
REVENUE FUND TO BE  KNOWN  AS  THE  "ACCESSIBLE  ELECTRONIC  INFORMATION
SERVICE FUND".
  2.  NOTHING  CONTAINED  IN  THIS  SECTION SHALL PREVENT THE STATE FROM
RECEIVING GRANTS, GIFTS OR BEQUESTS AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO THE  ACCES-
SIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
  3.  THE ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FUND SHALL BE ADMIN-
ISTERED BY THE PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE
DIRECTOR, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
  4.  THE  TARGETED  ACCESSIBILITY FUND, INC., ESTABLISHED BY THE PUBLIC
SERVICE COMMISSION IN ITS "ORDER AND OPINION 98-10", MAY ALLOCATE  FUNDS
FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  PROVIDING  ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION OF NEWSPAPERS,
PERIODICALS, TIME SENSITIVE MATERIALS, AND OTHER INFORMATION  WHICH  MAY
BE OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
  S  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided, however, that  effective  immediately,  the
addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date  is  authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.