Bill > HB2180

This bill, known as the blind information access act, requires the state librarian to contract with an organization to provide on-demand information access services to individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or print disabled, meaning they have difficulty reading standard print. These services will offer access to digital content through various technologies like audio, electronic text, and braille, including news and emergency alerts, delivered via telecommunications or the internet. The state librarian will estimate the cost of these services and report it annually to the legislature and the state corporation commission. This cost will then be transferred from the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF), a fund that supports telecommunications services, to a newly created Blind Information Access Fund, from which the state librarian will pay for the contracted services. The bill also amends existing law concerning the KUSF administrator to ensure that funds are available for these new information access services and repeals the old law on July 1, 2027.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications (House)

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2180/