H-4431.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2424
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Jacobsen, Wood, Wineberry, R. Fisher and Anderson)
Read first time 02/03/92.
AN ACT Relating to higher education; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
When purchasing or ordering textbooks, course materials, and library books, institutions of higher education shall strongly encourage publishers to accomplish, as rapidly as the technology becomes available, the following:
(1) Make textbooks, library books, and course materials available in a computer-based format, which may include optical storage media, including CD ROM, for students with print disabilities enrolled at the institution;
(2) Provide the materials in computer-based format at a reasonable and affordable price;
(3) Ensure that the computer-based format complies with established industry guideline standards for machine readable documents for persons with print disabilities; and
(4) Provide the materials in computer-based format in a timely manner to support the educational needs of students with print disabilities.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The academic officers of the public four-year institutions of higher education and the instructional officers at the community and technical colleges shall:
(1) Work closely with their faculty and appropriate administrators to disseminate information about the availability of materials and textbooks that have been converted to electronic formats;
(2) Encourage faculty and appropriate administrators to, where feasible, use materials and textbooks that have been converted to electronic formats; and
(3) Encourage the development of additional materials and textbooks in electronic formats to better serve students with disabilities.