Kansas Senate Bill SB46

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 1/22/25

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.

Summary

SB 46 creates the “blind information access act” and directs the state librarian to contract with an organization that provides on-demand information access services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or print disabled. The services must provide access to digital content through audio, electronic text, and braille-reading technologies, and may include Kansas publications, national and international publications, breaking news, and localized emergency weather alerts delivered through telecommunications or internet services. The bill requires the state librarian to estimate the annual cost of the contract, report that estimate to the legislature and the Kansas Corporation Commission by November 1 each year, and certify the amount to the Kansas universal service fund (KUSF) administrator. The KUSF administrator would then transfer the certified amount to the state treasurer in 12 monthly installments, with the money credited to a newly created blind information access fund. The state librarian would use that fund to implement the program and promote the services to eligible users. The bill also amends K.S.A. 66-2010, which governs administration of the Kansas universal service fund, to add the blind information access contract as an obligation the KUSF must support. In effect, the measure expands the purposes for which KUSF money may be used and ties the new service to the existing telecommunications funding structure. It also preserves the confidentiality of information handled by the KUSF administrator and keeps the existing administrative framework for collecting and distributing telecommunications-related funds. The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive of accessibility and information equity, with no recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials indicating opposition or amendment debate. The measure appears designed to improve access to news, emergency information, and reading materials for Kansans with print disabilities by using a stable funding source rather than relying on general appropriations. Because there are no transcripts or vote records included, there are no documented points of contention in the provided context. Potential areas of policy interest, however, include the use of KUSF dollars for a new program, the ongoing annual certification and transfer process, and whether the state library should be responsible for promoting and administering the service rather than another agency.

Impact

SB 46 would create a new statutory program and fund for accessible information services, and it would amend Kansas telecommunications law to require the Kansas universal service fund to finance those services. It would add a new recurring obligation to KUSF administration, require annual cost certification and monthly transfers, and establish the blind information access fund in the state treasury for the state librarian’s use. The bill would directly affect the state librarian, the KUSF administrator, telecommunications carriers and utilities contributing to the fund, and Kansans who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or print disabled.

Sentiment

The bill’s apparent sentiment is broadly positive and service-oriented. It is framed as an accessibility measure intended to expand access to information, emergency alerts, and reading materials for people with disabilities. No committee discussion or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of organized opposition, partisan division, or amendment controversy.

Contention

No specific contention is documented in the provided transcripts or voting history because none were included. Based on the bill’s structure, the most likely policy questions would concern whether KUSF revenues should be redirected to a new non-telecommunications service, how much the program will cost annually, and whether the state library is the appropriate administrator. Telecommunications providers and KUSF stakeholders could also scrutinize the financial impact, while disability advocates would likely focus on the adequacy and reliability of the services.