Reports to the legislature regarding accessibility for persons who are blind or visually impaired and compliance with federal law regarding service animals. (FE)

Under the current open housing law, "animal" is not defined. Under the bill, "animal" is defined as a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person who is vision, hearing, or mobility impaired.

This bill directs the Department of Administration to recommend to the legislature methods to increase the number of businesses owned by people who are blind or visually impaired that participate in the state contracting process.

This bill requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to submit to the legislature a report on the Office of the Blind and Visually Impaired within DHS, which assists blind persons in adapting and adjusting to vision loss and in living independently.

This bill directs the Department of Public Instruction, in consultation with the Department of Health Services, to prepare a report recommending ways to improve the program that assists in the adjustment of adults who have recently become blind or visually impaired and submit it to the legislature.

This bill requires the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to prepare a report relating to public signage and audible traffic signals to assist the blind.

This bill requires DOT to submit to the legislature a report that includes all of the following: 1) an evaluation of the effectiveness, in improving pedestrian safety, of the requirement that motorists yield a ten-foot safety distance to pedestrians using service animals or walking sticks associated with the visually impaired; 2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of DOT's promotion, education, and enforcement efforts related to this requirement and of the adequacy of the penalty for a violation of this requirement; and 3) DOT's recommendations to improve effectiveness under items 1 and 2.

This bill requests the Joint Legislative Council to study the Supervised Business Enterprise Program administered by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) under which DWD's ultimate objective is to enable blind persons to operate their own businesses.