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| AN ACT concerning information technology access.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
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| Information Technology Accessibility Act. |
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| Section 5. Findings; policy.
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| (a) The Legislature finds that: |
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| (1) The advent of the information age throughout the |
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| United States and around the world has resulted in dramatic |
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| increases in the importance of information technology in |
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| employment, education, and the receipt of services. |
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| (2) While information technology is increasingly being |
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| used as a means of providing information, communications, |
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| and services, the State is not consistently or |
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| cost-effectively ensuring that these technologies are |
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| accessible to individuals with disabilities. |
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| (3) The lack of accessible information technology can |
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| prevent individuals with disabilities from participating |
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| on equal terms in crucial areas of life, such as education |
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| and employment. |
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| (4) Techniques and products exist that can ensure that |
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| information technology can be made accessible to |
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| individuals with disabilities in consistent and |
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| cost-effective manners. |
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| (5) By proactively addressing accessibility in its |
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| information technology development and procurement |
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| processes, the State can cost-effectively ensure that its |
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| information technology will be accessible to individuals |
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| with disabilities. |
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| (b) It is the policy of the State of Illinois that |
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| information technology developed, purchased, or provided by |
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| the State is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
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| Section 10. Definitions.
As used in this Act: |
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| "Accessibility" means the ability to receive, use, and |
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| manipulate data and operate controls included in electronic and |
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| information technology in a manner equivalent to that of |
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| individuals who do not have disabilities. |
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| "Electronic and information technology" means electronic |
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| information, software, systems, and equipment used in the |
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| creation, manipulation, storage, display, or transmission of |
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| data, including internet and intranet systems, software |
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| applications, operating systems, video and multimedia, |
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| telecommunications products, kiosks, information transaction |
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| machines, copiers, printers, and desktop and portable |
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| computers. |
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| "Individuals with disabilities" means individuals with |
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| impairments that limit their ability to use information |
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| technology. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals |
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| with low vision, blindness, hardness of hearing, deafness, |
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| limited use of their hands, no use of their hands, or other |
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| similar impairments. |
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| "State entity" means the executive, legislative, and |
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| judicial branches of State of Illinois, including its |
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| departments, divisions, agencies, constitutional offices, |
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| public bodies, and public universities. The term does not |
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| include units of local government, school districts, or |
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| community colleges.
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| Section 15. Development of standards.
Not later than 6 |
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| months after the effective date of this Act, the Department of |
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| Human Services shall develop and publish accessibility |
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| standards for electronic and information technology for State |
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| entities. The Secretary of Human Services shall convene a |
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| working group of appropriate State entity representatives, |
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| stakeholders, and other appropriate individuals and officials |
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| to advise and assist the Department in this process. The |
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| standards shall address, at a minimum, the following: |
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| (1) functional performance criteria and technical |
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| requirements for accessibility; |
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| (2) recommendations for procurement language that can be |
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| incorporated into existing State procurement processes to |
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| ensure compliance with accessibility standards; and |
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| (3) recommendations for planning, reporting, monitoring, |
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| and enforcement of the accessibility standards by State |
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| entities.
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| Section 20. Implementation of standards.
Not later than 6 |
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| months after the development and publication of accessibility |
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| standards by the Department of Human Services, the Director of |
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| Central Management Services and each State entity shall review |
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| the standards and make revisions to existing procurement or |
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| development rules, policies, and procedures under their |
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| control to incorporate the standards. The accessibility |
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| standards shall apply to electronic and information technology |
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| developed or procured by a State entity, or to substantial |
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| modifications made to electronic and information technology by |
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| a State entity, after the Department of Central Management |
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| Services and other State entities incorporate the |
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| accessibility standards into their procurement policies and |
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| procedures. The accessibility standards shall not require (i) |
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| the installation of specific accessibility-related software or |
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| peripheral devices at a workstation of an employee who is not |
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| an individual with a disability or (ii) equipment made |
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| available for access at a location where the electronic and |
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| information technology is not customarily available to the |
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| public. |
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| Section 25. Review and amendment of standards.
The |
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| Department of Human Services shall, at a minimum, review the |
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| accessibility standards every 3 years after the date of initial |
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| publication and, as appropriate, amend the standards to reflect |
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| technological advances or changes in electronic and |
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| information technology. The Secretary of Human Services may |
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| convene a working group of appropriate State entity |
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| representatives, stakeholders, and other appropriate |
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| individuals and officials to advise and assist in the process |
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| of reviewing and amending the standards. Within 6 months after |
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| the publication by the Department of Human Services of |
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| amendments to the standards, the Director of Central Management |
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| Services and other State entities shall review the amended |
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| standards and make any necessary changes to their existing |
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| procurement policies and procedures to incorporate amendments |
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| to the accessibility standards into their procurement policies |
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| and procedures. The amended accessibility standards shall |
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| apply to electronic and information technology developed or |
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| procured by a State entity, or to substantial modifications |
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| made to electronic and information technology by a State |
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| entity, after the Department of Central Management Services and |
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| other State entities incorporate the amended accessibility |
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| standards into their procurement policies and procedures.
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
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| becoming law.
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