STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2615--B
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 25, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, DILAN, FOLEY, KLEIN, KRUEGER, MAZIARZ, MONT-
GOMERY, SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications --
recommitted to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications in
accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said
committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
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. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 92-g to
4 read as follows:
5 § 92-g. Accessible electronic information; blind and disabled persons.
6 1. A qualified not-for-profit entity capable of providing such service
7 shall provide an accessible electronic information service for eligible
8 blind and disabled persons. This service shall be planned for continua-
9 tion from year to year and make maximum use of federal and other funds
10 available by obtaining grant or in-kind support from appropriate
11 programs and securing access to low-cost interstate rates for telecommu-
12 nications by reimbursement or otherwise.
13 2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the follow-
14 ing meanings, unless otherwise indicated:
15 (a) "Accessible electronic information service" means news and other
16 timely information (including newspapers) provided to eligible individ-
17 uals from a multi-state service center, using high-speed computers and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00928-04-0
S. 2615--B 2
1 telecommunications technology for interstate acquisition of content and
2 rapid distribution in a form appropriate for use by such individuals;
3 (b) "Blind and disabled persons" means those individuals who are
4 eligible for library loan services through the Library of Congress and
5 the State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped pursuant to
6 36 CFR 701.10(b);
7 (c) "Director" means the director of the selected not-for-profit enti-
8 ty;
9 (d) "Qualified entity" means a not-for-profit entity within this state
10 capable of providing accessible electronic information services which:
11 (i) provides interstate access for eligible persons to read daily
12 newspapers producing audio editions by computer, and
13 (ii) provides a means of program administration and reader registra-
14 tion on the Internet.
15 § 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-r to
16 read as follows:
17 § 99-r. Accessible electronic information service fund. 1. There is
18 hereby established in the custody of the state comptroller a special
19 revenue fund to be known as the "accessible electronic information
20 service fund".
21 2. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the state from
22 receiving grants, gifts or bequests and depositing them into the acces-
23 sible electronic information service fund according to law.
24 3. The accessible electronic information service fund shall be admin-
25 istered by the public service commission, in consultation with the
26 director, in accordance with this section.
27 4. The Targeted Accessibility Fund, Inc., established by the public
28 service commission in its "order and opinion 98-10", may allocate funds
29 for the purpose of providing electronic distribution of newspapers,
30 periodicals, time sensitive materials, and other information which may
31 be of benefit to the community.
32 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
33 have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
34 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
35 for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized
36 and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
