ENROLLED HOUSE BILL NO. 1342 By:Deutschendorf and Nance of the House And Capps of the Senate

An Act relating to technology; creating the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Task Force; stating purpose of the Task Force; establishing membership; providing for appointments, appointment of cochairs, and a quorum; providing for meetings and subcommittees; providing for staffing and assistance; requiring compliance with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act; providing for travel reimbursement; requiring a report; providing for noncodification; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:

A.  There is hereby created, to continue until July 1, 2004, the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Task Force.  The Task Force shall study and prepare recommendations concerning the accessibility for the disabled to publicly produced and provided electronic and information technology.

B.  The Task Force shall be composed of the following members:

1.  One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

2.  One member of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;

3.  The chair of the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives;

4.  The chair of the Aerospace and Technology Committee of the State Senate;

5.  The Director of the Office of State Finance, or a designee;

6.  The Director of the Department of Central Services, or a designee;

7.  The Director of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, or a designee;

8.  The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or a designee;

9.  The State Director of the Oklahoma State Department of Career and Technology Education, or a designee;

10.  The Director of the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation, or a designee;

11.  The Director of the Office of Handicapped Concerns, or a designee;

12.  A representative of OneNet, the state telecommunications network within the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;

13.  The Project Manager for Oklahoma Able Tech, the state assistive technology project located at Oklahoma State University;

14.  A representative of state agency web managers appointed by the Governor from a list submitted by a state agency web manager group;

15.  A representative of an association representing education technology administrators appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

16.  A representative of an association of distance learning education professionals appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;

17.  Two representatives of corporations or vendors of information or electronic technology hardware or software who are knowledgeable or have experience in the field of assistive technology appointed by the Governor;

18.  One representative of a corporation or vendor of assistive technology appointed by the Governor; and

19.  One representative who is an individual with a disability and is a user of information or electronic technology appointed by the Governor.

C.  The Task Force shall:

1.  Review federal laws requiring accessibility to electronic and information technology;

2.  Survey existing state agency created and supported public access electronic and information technology sites and services and determine accessibility compliance;

3.  Make recommendation on action, including legislative action, needed to ensure that all electronic and information technology produced, procured, or developed by state agencies are accessible to the disabled;

4.  Develop a position statement for disability accessibility in electronic public information distribution;

5.  Identify disability accessibility standards that are emerging or fully adopted by national standard organizations;

6.  Make recommendations on an oversight mechanism that is needed to ensure that disability accessibility requirements and standards are met by state agencies; and

7.  Review and make recommendations on disability accessibility initiatives and legislation undertaken in other states.

D.  Appointments to the Task Force shall be made by July 1, 2003.

E.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each designate a cochair from among the members of the Task Force.

F.  A majority of the members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum.  A majority of the members present at a meeting may act for the Task Force.

G.  The cochairs of the Task Force shall convene the first meeting of the Task Force on or before September 30, 2003.  Further meetings of the Task Force shall be called by either cochairs.

H.  Proceedings of all meetings of the Task Force shall comply with the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.

I.  The Task Force may divide into subcommittees in furtherance of its purpose.

J.  Staff of the Department of Rehabilitation Services shall serve as primary staff for the Task Force.  Appropriate personnel from the Office of State Finance and the Department of Central Services shall also assist with the work of the Task Force.

K.  The Task Force may use the expertise and services of the staffs of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and State Senate and may, as necessary, seek the advice and services of experts in the field as well as other necessary professional and clerical staff.

L.  All departments, officers, agencies, and employees of this state shall cooperate with the Task Force in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities including, but not limited to, providing any information, records, or reports requested by the Task Force.

M.  Members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation for their service, but shall receive travel reimbursement as follows:

1.  Legislative members of the Task Force shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of Section 456 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and

2.  Nonlegislative members of the Task Force shall be reimbursed by their appointing authorities or respective agencies for necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with the State Travel Reimbursement Act.

N.  On or before January 1, 2004, the Task Force shall issue a report of its recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Governor.

SECTION 2.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

Passed the House of Representatives the <20th> day of , 2003.

    

Presiding Officer of the House of  Representatives

Passed the Senate the 31st day of March, 2003.    

Presiding Officer of the Senate