BILL NUMBER:  S6702

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the state technology law, in
relation to state agency websites

 PURPOSE OF THE BILL :

This bill requires that all state agencies create and maintain
mobile-friendly platforms for their websites and resources. By
providing for mobile-friendly forms of state websites the state will
ensure widespread, equivalent and improved access to state resources.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Establishes that all current and future state agency
websites be offered in a mobile friendly form and shall be made
available for all mobile devises.

Section 2: Provides the enacting clause.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Since 2007, with the introduction of the first iphone, mobile devices
and smartphones have brought about a technological revolution in terms
the way consumers access and use online resources. Smartphones,
tablets and newer operating systems for desktops and laptops have
              

begun to shift the marketplace away from landlines and desktops
towards more mobile pathways.

To illustrate the demographic shift, the Pew Research Center reported
on April 1, 2015, that 64% of American adults now own a smartphone, up
from 35% in spring of 2011. The same research report indicated that
10% of American adults rely solely on their mobile device for internet
access in their homes. Further illustrating the need for updated
websites, in 2014, Google altered its search engine results pages to
list websites that are mobile friendly as prioritized in search
results in response to the paradigm shift that mobile device use has
caused in internet access.

The state remains in the technological dark ages in terms of providing
Mobile-friendly access to citizens who rely on the state's services
and resources. Being that the vast majority of state affiliated
websites are only available in desktop format, the state is
effectively double-dipping by making residents use more of their data
plans to access critical information and resources, while taxing use
of such mobile devices via cellphone and utility taxes. The state
should ensure that steps are taken to provide equal access to all
citizens.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-16: A.8067(Gjonaj)- Referred to Government Operations.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

Minimal. The state already allocates funding for website maintenance
to each state agency. Any additional cost in connection with the
updating of such websites is expected to be recouped in the long haul
through reductions in data traffic thanks to significantly smaller
website data requirements.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect January 1, 2017.