Minnesota Agencies

The advisory committee shall:
(1) review processes to be used for the evaluation or certification of accessibility of technology against accessibility standards;
(2) review the exception process and thresholds for any deviation from the accessibility standards;
(3) identify, in consultation with state agencies serving Minnesotans with disabilities, resources for training and technical assistance for state agency staff, including instruction regarding compliance with accessibility standards;
(4) convene customer groups composed of individuals with disabilities to assist in implementation of accessibility standards;
(5) review customer comments about accessibility and usability issues collected by State Services for the Blind;
(6) develop proposals for funding captioning of live videoconferencing, live Webcasts, Web streaming, podcasts, and other emerging technologies;
(7) provide advice and recommendations regarding the technology accessibility program operation and objectives;
(8) review and make recommendations regarding individual agency accessibility plans;
(9) review and make recommendations regarding new or amended accessibility standards and policies;
(10) review and make recommendations regarding assessments of progress in implementing accessibility standards; and
(11) consult with the chief information officer, if the chief information officer determines that any accessibility standard poses an undue burden to the state.
(b) The advisory committee shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over state technology systems by January 15 each year regarding the findings, progress, and recommendations made by the advisory committee under this subdivision. The report shall include any draft legislation necessary to implement the committee's recommendations.

H. F. 1074 (2011) which was rolled into Special Session S.F. 3 (H.F. 5) Environment bill, codifies and extends the expiration date for the Advisory Committee for Technology Standards for Accessibility and Usability. This Advisory Committee was originally created in a 2009 session law (Laws 2009, chapter 131) and under that law currently was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2011. This bill extends the expiration date to June 30, 2013. The bill also appropriates money from the telecommunications access Minnesota fund.

The Advisory Committee was reviewed by the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy in 2013 as part of their biennial duty required by Minn. Stat. 3.885 Subd. 11. The LCPFP's 2013 Recommendations called for the Committee to be repealed and 2014 Minn. Laws Chap. 286 Art. 1 Sec. 5 contained the repeal.
 

The Advisory Committee for Technology Standards for Accessibility and Usability consists of ten members, appointed as follows:
(1) the state chief information officer, or the state chief information officer's designee;
(2) a representative from State Services for the Blind, appointed by the commissioner of employment and economic development;
(3) the commissioner of administration, or the commissioner's designee;
(4) a representative selected by the Minnesota system of technology to achieve results program;
(5) a representative selected by the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans;
(6) the commissioner of education, or the commissioner's designee;
(7) the commissioner of health, or the commissioner's designee;
(8) the commissioner of human services, or the commissioner's designee;
(9) one representative from the Minnesota judicial system designated by the chief justice; and
(10) one staff member from the legislature, appointed by the chair of the Legislative Coordinating Commission.
(b) The appointing authorities under this subdivision must use their best efforts to ensure that the membership of the advisory committee includes at least one representative who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deafblind and at least one representative who is blind.
The advisory committee shall elect a chair from its membership.