S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8708--A
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 13, 2016
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA, ABINANTI, SIMON, SKOUFIS, MOSLEY,
ORTIZ, COOK, TITONE, WALTER, BENEDETTO, BLAKE, ROBINSON, DUPREY,
MONTESANO, RICHARDSON, KAMINSKY, STECK, SCHIMEL, STIRPE, GOLDFEDER,
MILLER, LENTOL, RUSSELL, LINARES, BARRETT, RAMOS, PALMESANO, WEPRIN,
JAFFEE, HUNTER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, CERETTO,
HYNDMAN, RAIA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Govern-
mental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, the state technology law and the
general municipal law, in relation to providing for multi-formatted
services menus for the cognitively impaired on web pages operated by
the state or a municipality
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 170-c
to read as follow:
S 170-C. MULTI-FORMATTED SERVICES MENUS FOR THE COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED.
1. EVERY DEPARTMENT, DIVISION, COMMISSION, AGENCY OR ANY OTHER ENTITY OF
THE STATE WHICH MAINTAINS A WEBSITE SHALL DEVELOP, WITH THE ASSISTANCE
OF THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, MULTI-FORMATTED
SERVICE MENUS FOR PERSONS WHO SUFFER FROM A DISABILITY ARISING FROM A
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, WHICH SHALL BE ACCESSIBLE VIA A LINK FROM THE HOME
PAGE OF SUCH WEBSITE. SUCH SERVICE MENUS SHALL INCLUDE A COMPLETE LIST
OF AVAILABLE SERVICES FROM SUCH DEPARTMENT, DIVISION, COMMISSION, AGENCY
OR OTHER ENTITY IN THE FOLLOWING FORMATS:
(A) CHARTS AND GRAPHS FOR VISUAL LEARNERS;
(B) DYNAMIC FLOWCHARTS FOR VISUAL THINKERS. SUCH FLOWCHARTS SHALL:
(I) MATCH THE WEBSITE VISITOR TO THE AREAS MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO
SUCH WEBSITE VISITOR'S INQUIRY BY ASKING THE WEBSITE VISITOR INDIVIDUAL
QUESTIONS AND THEN PRODUCING RESPONSES IN LOGICAL SEQUENCE; AND
(II) ALLOW WEBSITE VISITORS TO REVISE THEIR ANSWERS AT ANY POINT IN
ORDER TO BE PROMPTED TO THE NEXT MENU; AND
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13620-02-6
A. 8708--A 2
(C) VIDEOS FOR AUDITORY LEARNERS. SUCH VIDEOS SHALL INCLUDE CLOSED
CAPTIONS AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF SUCH VIDEOS FOR REVIEW OF REFERENCES
OR INFORMATION MENTIONED IN SUCH VIDEOS.
2. PRIOR TO LAUNCHING SUCH MULTI-FORMATTED SERVICE MENUS, THE DEPART-
MENTS, DIVISION, COMMISSION, AGENCY OR OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE SHALL
SEEK THE INPUT OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE
WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ON THE
PLANNING, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SERVICE MENUS REQUIRED BY
THIS SECTION.
S 2. Subdivisions 20 and 21 of section 103 of the state technology law
are renumbered subdivisions 21 and 22, and a new subdivision 20 is added
to read as follows:
20. TO ADVISE AND ASSIST THE DEPARTMENTS, DIVISIONS, COMMISSIONS,
AGENCIES OR ANY OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE OR ANY MUNICIPALITY WHICH
MAINTAINS A WEBSITE IN DEVELOPING MANDATORY MULTI-FORMATTED SERVICE
MENUS FOR PERSONS WHO SUFFER FROM A DISABILITY ARISING FROM A COGNITIVE
IMPAIRMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-C OF THE EXECUTIVE
LAW AND SECTION NINETY-NINE-X OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW.
S 3. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 99-x
to read as follows:
S 99-X. MULTI-FORMATTED SERVICE MENUS FOR THE COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED. 1.
EVERY MUNICIPALITY WITH A MUNICIPAL WEBSITE SHALL PROVIDE, WITH THE
ASSISTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, MULTI-FOR-
MATTED SERVICE MENUS FOR PERSONS WHO SUFFER FROM A DISABILITY ARISING
FROM A COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, WHICH SHALL BE ACCESSIBLE VIA A LINK FROM
THE HOME PAGE OF SUCH MUNICIPAL WEBSITE. SUCH SERVICE MENUS SHALL
INCLUDE A COMPLETE LIST OF AVAILABLE MUNICIPAL SERVICES IN THE FOLLOWING
FORMATS:
(A) CHARTS AND GRAPHS FOR VISUAL LEARNERS;
(B) DYNAMIC FLOWCHARTS FOR VISUAL THINKERS. SUCH FLOWCHARTS SHALL:
(I) MATCH THE WEBSITE VISITOR TO THE AREAS MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO
SUCH WEBSITE VISITOR'S INQUIRY BY ASKING THE WEBSITE VISITOR INDIVIDUAL
QUESTIONS AND THEN PRODUCING RESPONSES IN LOGICAL SEQUENCE; AND
(II) ALLOW WEBSITE VISITORS TO REVISE THEIR ANSWERS AT ANY POINT IN
ORDER TO BE PROMPTED TO THE NEXT MENU; AND
(C) VIDEOS FOR AUDITORY LEARNERS. SUCH VIDEOS SHALL INCLUDE CLOSED
CAPTIONS AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF SUCH VIDEOS FOR REVIEW OF REFERENCES
OR INFORMATION MENTIONED IN SUCH VIDEOS.
2. PRIOR TO LAUNCHING SUCH MULTI-FORMATTED SERVICE MENUS, THE MUNICI-
PALITY SHALL SEEK THE INPUT OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, THE OFFICE
FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
ON THE PLANNING, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SERVICE MENUS REQUIRED
BY THIS SECTION.
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.