Legal Update

July 22, 2024

What is in this Legal Update?

• New Resources for Website Accessibility Requirements
• New Resources for Criminal Justice Bill

New Resources for Website Accessibility Requirements

A 2021 Colorado bill, HB21-1110, requires that ALL school district technology, hardware, and software, including public-facing and internal-facing technology, must comply with specific accessibility standards to ensure individuals with disabilities can access district resources and services. Technology that must be accessible includes third party tools, websites, applications, kiosks, digital signage, documents, video, and audio. Districts were required to comply with the new accessibility requirements by July 1, 2024, but there is a one-year grace period from liability as long as districts can prove they are making a good faith effort toward compliance and resolving any complaints. 

Many resources to assist districts are already available. CASB has released an  overview of accessibility requirements that compiles the resources and provides information on the bill and other associated bills. Districts are also required to publish an accessibility statement on their websites. CASB has drafted a sample accessibility statement that districts may review, modify, and use. 

New Resources for Juvenile Justice Bill

• Designate a point-of-contact person for the district, who will work with students in the juvenile justice system and provide information;
• Publish an explanation of services for students in the juvenile justice system on the district’s website; 
• Follow the bill of rights for justice-engaged youth, which includes graduation plans, right to privacy, and more. 

CASB has released an informational resource to assist districts, including a sample explanation of services that a district can review, modify, and use. Additionally, CASB included minor updates regarding this bill in our June 28, 2024 SPU.

 Member Legal Resources

As a reminder, the  Member Legal Resources webpage, which features an index of CASB’s legal resources, is always available. These resources may still be located via the search tool.

CASB’s legal resources are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Specific questions should be referred to the school district’s legal counsel.

 For Legal Update inquiries, please contact CASB’s Legal Team. 

The resources provided by CASB's member legal resources department are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Specific questions should be referred to the district's or BOCES's own legal counsel.