Bill > AB1099

This bill amends existing law to ensure that publishers and manufacturers of instructional materials for California's public postsecondary education institutions, including the University of California, the California State University, and California Community Colleges, provide these materials in an electronic format that is accessible to students with disabilities. Specifically, it mandates that publishers must supply electronic versions of both printed and non-printed instructional materials, such as textbooks, software, and videos, at no extra cost and in a timely manner upon written request. These electronic formats must maintain the "structural integrity" of the original material, meaning they preserve the text, headings, and other essential components, and be compatible with assistive technologies like braille translation and speech synthesis software. The bill outlines conditions for such requests, requiring certification that the student has a disability preventing the use of standard materials and that the material is for their personal educational use in a registered course. It also clarifies that "instructional material" includes textbooks and other essential course materials, but excludes nontextual math and science materials until conversion technology is readily available. The bill also makes technical amendments to update references to governing bodies and clarifies definitions related to instructional materials and specialized formats.