ASSEMBLY AGING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1016

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 12, 2024

      The Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1016.

This bill requires that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA, or the most up-to-date version of the guidelines, must be the accessibility standard for the websites of all State agencies, and each website must be configured in such a way that it can be navigated, viewed, and accessed on a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar mobile device.

     The WCAG guidelines make content accessible for people with disabilities.

     The Chief Technology Officer must establish the protocol by which a State agency can determine that its websites comply with the requirements.  The Chief Technology Officer must certify each website’s compliance two years after the bill’s effective date and recertify compliance once every two years thereafter.

     As used in this bill, “State agency” means the Executive and Legislative Branch of the State, including, but not limited to, any department, board, bureau, commission, division, office, council, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or independent agency, public authority, or public benefit corporation.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 1016 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 3636, which was also reported by the committee on this date.