S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3144
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee 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".
   §  2. Legislative finding. The National Federation of the Blind estab-
 lished the NFB-NEWSLINE to increase the  ability  of  visually  impaired
 individuals  to  receive  information provided by newspapers, magazines,
 journals and other print media which are traditionally unavailable in  a
 limited  electronic  broadcast.  Since  2002,  this  vital  service  has
 provided visually impaired New Yorkers with information on job listings,
 self-help magazines, do-it-yourself guides, political magazines, several
 newspapers, TV guide listings, and other literary necessities  that  all
 sighted  New  Yorkers  have  enjoyed. This legislation provides a stable
 means to bring NEWSLINE to New York.
   § 3. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 92-j to
 read as follows:
   § 92-J. 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, STATE, PRIVATE
 AND OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING OBTAINING GRANT OR IN-KIND  SUPPORT
 FROM  APPROPRIATE  PROGRAMS  AND  SECURING ACCESS TO LOW-COST INTERSTATE
 RATES FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS BY REIMBURSEMENT OR OTHERWISE.
   2. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
 ING MEANINGS, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00461-01-1
              

 A. 3144                             2
 
   (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;
   (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.
   § 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ii to
 read as follows:
   § 99-II. 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.  FUNDING  FOR  THE  ACCESSIBLE  ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FUND
 SHALL BE OBTAINED FROM:
   A. THE TARGETED ACCESSIBILITY FUND, INC., ESTABLISHED  BY  THE  PUBLIC
 SERVICE  COMMISSION IN ITS "ORDER AND OPINION 98-10" IN AN AMOUNT DEEMED
 APPROPRIATE FOR THE PURPOSE  OF  PROVIDING  ELECTRONIC  DISTRIBUTION  OF
 NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS, TIME SENSITIVE MATERIALS, AND OTHER INFORMATION
 WHICH MAY BE OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY; AND
   B.  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND IN AN AMOUNT DEEMED
 APPROPRIATE BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR PROVIDING ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION OF
 NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS, TIME SENSITIVE MATERIALS, AND OTHER INFORMATION
 WHICH MAY BE OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
   3. 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.
   4. THE ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE FUND SHALL BE  ADMIN-
 ISTERED  BY  THE  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION,  IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
 DIRECTOR AND THE COMMISSIONER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
   5. THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHALL REQUIRE COMPANIES  WHO  PROVIDE
 TELECOMMUNICATION  SERVICES TO BLIND AND DISABLED PERSONS, AS DEFINED IN
 PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION NINETY-TWO-J OF  THE  PUBLIC
 SERVICE  LAW,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CERTIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION
 CARRIERS, CABLE TELEVISION COMPANIES THAT OFFER TELEPHONE  SERVICE,  AND
 OTHER  COMPANIES THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION DEEMS TO BE A PROVIDER OF
 TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE TARGETED  ACCESSIBILITY
 FUND,  INC.  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING FUNDING TO COMPLY WITH PARA-
 GRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a  law.    Effective  immediately, the addition, amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before
 such effective date.