Bill: HB349 of 2007-2008 session 
Date: 03/01/2007 12:45am 



                                   PETITION OF:

        Antonio F. D. Cabral                                Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
        Theodore C. Speliotis
        Frank I. Smizik

                                   ------------
                           In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
                                   ------------

AN ACT TO INSURE ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court
   assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:


SECTION 1. Chapter 110G: Section 19 of the General Laws, as appearing in the
2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following language.

Electronic information and telecommunication technology purchased by entities
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be in compliance with the
provisions of Section 508 of the U.S. Workforce Investment Act of 1998
regarding accessibility of information technology for individuals with
disabilities for the purposes of ensuring that the information technology allows
employees, program participants and members of the general public access to
and use of information and data that is comparable to the access by individuals
without disabilities.

The Information Technology Division of the Executive Office of Administration
and Finance shall

(1) Adopt accessibility standards to be used by each state department or agency
in the procurement of information technology, and in the development and
implementation of custom-designed information technology systems, web sites
and other emerging information technology systems;




C:\Bills\ht00349.doc



(2) Establish and implement a review procedure to be used to evaluate the
accessibility of custom-designed information technology systems proposed by a
state department or agency prior to expenditure of state funds;

(3) Review and evaluate accessibility of information technology commonly
purchased by state departments and agencies, and provide accessibility reports
on such products to those responsible for purchasing decisions.