S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2924
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 26, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. PARKER, ADDABBO, COMRIE, GALLIVAN -- read twice and
   ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
   Finance
 
 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

 S. 2924                             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.