Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2180

Introduced
1/30/25  

Caption

Establishing the blind information access act to require the state library to provide on-demand information access services to persons who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind or print disabled.

Impact

To finance these services, the bill mandates the transfer of funds from the Kansas Universal Service Fund to a newly created Blind Information Access Fund. This funding mechanism will ensure that the necessary financial resources are available to sustain the on-demand information access services annually. Further, a report authored by the state librarian would estimate the cost of these contracts, ensuring transparency and adherence to budgetary constraints. The annual certification and transformation of funds from the Universal Service Fund to the Blind Information Access Fund provides a structured approach to fiscal responsibility in implementing this initiative.

Summary

House Bill 2180 seeks to establish the Blind Information Access Act, which is designed to provide on-demand information access services to individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or print disabled. This legislation requires the state librarian to contract with an organization that can facilitate services enabling access to digital content via various means, including audio, electronic text, braille-reading technologies, and other related services. The intent is to include Kansas-specific publications as well as national and international materials, thus broadening the access to critical information for those who require such services.

Contention

The bill may face contention around budgeting and allocation of funds, particularly concerning how the implementation of the blind information access services may influence existing telecommunications funding structures. Stakeholders may debate whether sufficient resources are available to support these new requirements without detriment to the existing services funded by the Kansas Universal Service Fund. This issue raises questions about governance and financial prioritization in addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities versus maintaining the economic viability of telecommunications services in the state.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB284

Establishing the blind information access act to require the state library to provide on-demand information access services to persons who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind or print disabled.

KS HB2176

Creating the Arkansas city area public library district act and the Udall area public library district act, requiring an election for the creation of such district and authorizing unified school districts No. 470 and 463 to levy a tax on behalf of such library district.

KS HB2418

Abolishing the study commission for the consolidation of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte county, consolidation commission of Topeka, Kansas, and Shawnee county, study commission for the consolidation in Greeley county, state emergency response commission, transportation vision task force, Persian Gulf war veterans health initiative act, Kansas export finance act, community strategic planning assistance act, natural and scientific areas advisory board, public finance transparency board, Kansas film services commission, Kansas bioscience authority, KAN-ED act and department of health and environment advisory committees.

KS SB144

Exempting satellite service and video programming services accessed over the internet from the video competition act.

KS HB2019

Implementing additional reporting requirements for information technology projects and state agencies, requiring additional information technology security training and status reports, requiring reporting of significant cybersecurity audits and changing the membership requirements, terms of members and the quorum requirements for the information technology executive council.

KS SB291

House Substitute for SB 291 by Committee on Legislative Modernization - Transferring all cybsersecurity services under the chief information technology officer of each branch of government, creating chief information security officers within the judicial and legislative branches, requiring a chief information security officer to be appointed by the attorney general, Kansas bureau of investigation, secretary of state, state treasurer and insurance commissioner and requiring the chief information security officers to implement certain minimum cybersecurity standards, requiring the information technology executive council to develop a plan to integrate executive branch information technology services under the executive chief information technology officer, making and concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, for the office of information technology, Kansas information security office and the adjutant general, authorizing certain transfers and imposing certain limitations and restrictions and directing or authorizing certain disbursements and procedures for all state agencies and requiring legislative review of state agencies not in compliance with this act.

KS SB42

House Substitute for SB 42 by Committee on Appropriations - Exempting rural emergency hospitals from the hospital provider assessment and establishing residency and other requirements for membership on a hospital board.

KS HB2077

Substitute for HB 2077 by the Committee on Appropriations - Implementing additional reporting requirements for information technology projects and state agencies, requiring additional information technology security training and status reports, requiring reporting of significant cybersecurity audits and changing the membership requirements, terms of members and the quorum requirements for the information technology executive council.

KS HB2690

Abolishing the 911 coordinating council and establishing the state 911 board; abolishing the 911 operations fund, 911 state fund and 911 state grant fund outside of the state treasury and establishing the state 911 operations fund, state 911 fund and state 911 grant fund in the state treasury; increasing the minimum county distribution of 911 moneys; and authorizing counties to contract with other counties for the provision of 911 PSAP services.

KS SB248

Providing sales tax exemptions for certain food and food ingredients and for the construction or repair of buildings used for human habitation by the Kansas state school for the blind and the Kansas state school for the deaf and repealing the state rate reduction for sales of certain food and food ingredients.

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