Session of 2025
SENATE BILL No. 46
By Senator Ware
1-21
1AN ACT concerning disability services; relating to telecommunications
2and information access services; establishing the blind information
3access act; requiring the state librarian to contract with an organization
4to provide on-demand information access services to persons who are
5blind, visually impaired, deafblind or print disabled; establishing the
6blind information access fund; requiring the transfer of moneys from
7the Kansas universal service fund to provide for such services;
8amending K.S.A. 66-2010 and repealing the existing section.
9
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
11New Section 1. (a) This act shall be known and may be cited as the
12blind information access act.
13(b) The state librarian shall estimate the cost of entering into a
14contract with an organization that delivers on-demand information access
15services to persons who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind or print
16disabled. Such services shall provide access to digital content through
17audio, electronic text and braille-reading technologies and other related
18services, including, but not limited to, Kansas specific publications,
19national publications, international publications, breaking news sources
20and localized emergency weather alerts. Such on-demand information
21access services shall be provided using telecommunications or internet
22services.
23(c) On or before November 1 of each year, the state librarian shall
24submit a report to the legislature and the state corporation commission that
25specifies the estimate of the cost to enter into a contract to provide such
26on-demand information access services and shall certify such cost to the
27director of accounts and reports and the administrator of the Kansas
28universal service fund. Upon receipt of such certification, the total amount
29certified shall be transferred by the administrator of the Kansas universal
30service fund from the Kansas universal service fund to the state treasurer
31in the following calendar year by 12 equal monthly installment payments.
32Upon receipt of each such payment, the state treasurer shall deposit such
33amount in the state treasury and credit such amount to the blind
34information access fund.
35(d) Upon receipt of the amount certified pursuant to subsection (c),
36the state librarian shall enter into or renew the contract required pursuant
1to this section.
2(e) There is hereby created in the state treasury the blind information
3access fund. All moneys credited to the blind information access fund shall
4be used by the state librarian to implement the provisions of this section.
5All expenditures from the blind information access fund shall be made in
6accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of
7accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the state
8librarian or the state librarian's designee.
9(f) The state librarian shall promote the information access services to
10persons who may be eligible for such services.
11Sec. 2. K.S.A. 66-2010 is hereby amended to read as follows: 66-
122010. (a) The commission shall utilize a competitive bidding process to
13select a neutral, competent and bonded third party to administer the KUSF.
14(b) The administrator shall be responsible for: (1) Collecting and
15auditing all relevant information from all qualifying telecommunications
16public utilities, telecommunications carriers or wireless
17telecommunications service providers receiving funds from or providing
18funds to the KUSF; (2) verifying, based on the calculations of each
19qualifying telecommunications carrier, telecommunications public utility
20or wireless telecommunications service provider, the obligation of each
21such qualifying carrier, utility or provider to generate the funds required by
22the KUSF; (3) collecting all moneys due to the KUSF from all
23telecommunications public utilities, telecommunications carriers and
24wireless telecommunications service providers in the state; and (4)
25distributing amounts on a monthly basis due to qualifying
26telecommunications public utilities, wireless telecommunications service
27providers and telecommunications carriers receiving KUSF funding.
28(c) Any information made available or received by the administrator
29from carriers, utilities or providers receiving funds from or providing
30funds to the KUSF shall not be subject to any provisions of the Kansas
31open records act and shall be considered confidential and proprietary.
32(d) The administrator shall be authorized to maintain an action to
33collect any funds owed by any telecommunications carrier, public utility or
34wireless telecommunications provider in the district court in the county of
35the registered office of such carrier, utility or provider or, if such carrier,
36utility or provider does not have a registered office in the state, such an
37action may be maintained in the county where such carrier's, utility's or
38provider's principal office is located. If such carrier, utility or provider has
39no principal office in the state, such an action may be maintained in the
40district court of any county in which such carrier, utility or provider
41provides service.
42(e) (1) The KUSF administrator shall be responsible to ensure for
43ensuring that funds do not fall below the level necessary to pay all
1amounts collectively owed to all qualifying telecommunications public
2utilities, wireless telecommunications service providers and,
3telecommunications carriers and the information access services
4contracted for pursuant to section 1, and amendments thereto. The
5administrator shall have the authority to retain and invest in a prudent and
6reasonable manner any excess funds collected in any period to help ensure
7that adequate funds are available to cover amounts payable in other
8periods.
9(2) Subject to the provisions of appropriations acts, for fiscal year
102013, the KUSF administrator may transfer moneys from the KUSF to the
11state treasurer. Upon the receipt of any payment, the state treasurer shall
12deposit the entire amount in the state treasury and credit it to the KAN-ED
13fund. Any such payments shall be made after all payments required by
14K.S.A. 66-2008, and amendments thereto, for the month are made from
15the KUSF.
16(2) Upon receipt of the certification from the state librarian issued
17pursuant to section 1, and amendments thereto, the KUSF administrator
18shall transfer the total amount of moneys certified by the state librarian
19from the KUSF to the state treasurer in the following calendar year by 12
20equal monthly installment payments. Upon receipt of each such payment,
21the state treasurer shall deposit such amount in the state treasury and
22credit such amount to the blind information access fund.
23Sec. 3. K.S.A. 66-2010 is hereby repealed.
24Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
25publication in the statute book.