The Department of Information Resources (department) proposes amendments to 1 TAC Chapter 206, §§206.1, 206.50 - 206.52, 206.55, 206.70 - 206.72, and 206.75, relating to state web sites. The amendments proposed to §§206.1, 206.50, and 206.70 are to align the Texas Accessibility Standards with the §508 standards of the Rehabilitation Act relating to Web accessibility contained in 36 C.F.R. Part 1194. Such changes are proposed in response to passage of House Bill 2819, which enacted §§2054.451 - 2054.465, Texas Government Code, relating to access to state electronic and information resources by individuals with disabilities. The changes to §§206.1, 206.50, 206.51, 206.55, 206.70, 206.71, and 206.75 are to clarify language and correct grammar. The amendments to §206.52 and §206.72 are to address Spanish language requirements for state agencies and institutions of higher education under §2054.116, Texas Government Code which was enacted by the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, in Senate Bill 213.

The proposed amendments to the rules underwent the analysis required by §2054.121, Texas Government Code, and were found to have no impact on the mission of higher education, student populations, and federal grant requirements.

Dustin Lanier, Strategic Initiatives Division Director for the department, has determined that there will be no fiscal implications for most state agencies if the amendments are adopted. Local government is not affected by the proposed amendments. State agencies and institutions of higher education that develop training and informational video and multimedia productions will be required to add synchronized captions. The software to add synchronized captions is free. The cost of adding the captions will vary based on the extent of captioning required and the labor rates of the individuals who provide the captioning. The department has identified a service that currently charges $2.08 per minute to caption Web-based video of live events using a Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) service. The current cost of adding captions to existing video is $10 per minute with a $50 set-up fee if a text of the audio to be captioned is not provided. The cost if the audio text is provided is $3 per minute. The public will benefit by the adoption, because disabled individuals will have access to the same state agency web site information as is available to non-disabled individuals.

Mr. Lanier believes there will be no different effect on small businesses than there is on large businesses since the rules are inapplicable to businesses, and that there is no additional anticipated economic cost to persons if the amendments are adopted.

Comments on the proposed amendments may be submitted to Renée Mauzy, General Counsel, Department of Information Resources, via mail to P.O. Box 13564, Austin, Texas 78711, or electronically to renee.mauzy@dir.state.tx.us no later than 5:00 p.m. CT, within 30 days after publication.

The amendments are proposed under §§2054.452, 2054.460 and 2054.052(a), Texas Government Code.

The amendments are promulgated to implement §§2054.453 - 2054.459, Texas Government Code, which require the department to consider the provisions contained in 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 in the adoption of rules and to assist state agencies in complying with the requirements of §2054.116, Texas Government Code. The rules are authorized by §2054.052(a), Texas Government Code, which authorizes the department to adopt rules necessary to implement its responsibilities under the Information Resources Management Act.