VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

• Code of Virginia
• Virginia Administrative Code
• Constitution of Virginia
• Charters
• Authorities
• Compacts
• Uncodified Acts
• RIS Users (account required)

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

• Bills & Resolutions
  session legislation
• Bill Summaries
  session summaries
• Reports to the General Assembly
  House and Senate documents
• Legislative Liaisons
  State agency contacts

ACROSS SESSIONS

• Subject Index: Since 1995
• Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
• Summaries: Since 1994

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2000 SESSION

• history | hilite | pdf | print version

000955648
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 245 Offered January 24, 2000 Requesting that the Department for the Visually Handicapped study means of providing access to sources of news by blind and visually impaired Virginians. ----------
Patrons-- Brink, Baskerville, Crittenden, Darner, Moran, Plum, Van Landingham, Watts and Woodrum; Senators: Lambert and Whipple
---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, the latest figures from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that there are approximately nine million Americans with severe visual impairments; and

WHEREAS, most of these individuals do not have the opportunity to read the full text of a newspaper on a regular basis, and even when they do, their ability to skim throughout its pages is limited; and

WHEREAS, if blind and visually impaired individuals can have timely access to newspapers, they can be as well-informed as their friends, family, and associates and have the same chance as sighted people to be knowledgeable about current events; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department for the Visually Handicapped examine means of providing access to sources of news for the visually impaired. Such study shall include the "Newsline for the Blind" service provided by the National Federation for the Blind of Virginia, Inc. and the feasibility of fostering participation by additional Virginia newspapers and additional localities. The study shall also determine the funding necessary for expansion and the potential sources for such funding.

The Department for the Visually Handicapped shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.