2022 -- H 8066

========

LC005637

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENTS OF STATE

GOVERNMENT

     Introduced By: Representatives Vella-Wilkinson, Perez, Shanley, Williams, Casimiro,
Fenton-Fung, Kazarian, Alzate, Bennett, and Edwards

     Date Introduced: March 30, 2022

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 42-6 of the General Laws entitled "Departments of State

Government" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     42-6-16. Website accessibility.

     (a) State departments enumerated in § 42-6-1 and state boards, divisions, bureaus,

commissions and agencies shall with newly created or contracted public access websites be

designed and coded in compliance with the web content accessibility guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1),

or a subsequent version published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web

Consortium at a level AA success criteria.

     (b) Existing public access websites for state departments enumerated in § 42-6-1 and state

boards, divisions, bureaus, commissions and agencies shall on or before July 1, 2027 design or

redesign and code or recode existing websites to be in compliance with WCAG 2.1 or a subsequent

version published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium at a level

AA success criteria.

     (c) Upon creation or activation of a website subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of

this section and on or before July 1, 2027 for a website subject to the provisions of subsection (b)

of this section, the director of each state department and/or the executive or administrative head of

each state agency or entity and the information technology project manager assigned pursuant to §

42-6-15 to manage compliance with the provisions of this section, shall post on the home page of

the website a signed certification that the website is in compliance the standards provided in this

section.

     (d) Municipalities are strongly encouraged and recommended to adopt and implement a

program to make municipal websites more accessible by adoption of standards consistent with the

provisions of this section.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC005637

========

LC005637 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENTS OF STATE

GOVERNMENT

***

     This act would require all newly established public access websites to be in compliance

with Web Contract Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) for accessibility in compliance with

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Existing state websites would be required to

comply no later than July 1, 2027. Municipalities would be strongly encouraged to adopt consistent

standards with the WCAG 2.1 provisions.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC005637

========

LC005637 - Page 3 of 3