SB23-244 Summary

• Amends Colorado's definition of "accessibility" to require digital content be "reasonably" accessible to individuals with disabilities, enabling equal access to information, services, and interactions.

• Changes the Chief Information Officer's role from maintaining to establishing accessibility standards through formal rulemaking, based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and international standards.

• Requires state agencies to submit written accessibility plans by July 1, 2022, and achieve full compliance with accessibility standards by July 1, 2024, or face violations under Section 24-34-802.

• Extends budget appropriations for information technology accessibility from fiscal year 2023-24 through fiscal year 2025-26, with unexpended funds reverting to their source fund after July 1, 2027.

• Clarifies that accessibility violations on a single digital product (website or application) count as one incident rather than separate violations, and reduces statutory fines by 50% for small businesses (25 or fewer employees) that correct violations within 30 days.