LCC authorizes up to $50,000 to negotiate legislative website redesign to meet ADA accessibility

The Legislative Coordinating Council authorized the chair to execute an agreement to negotiate a redesign of the legislative website for accessibility and usability improvements, with a cost cap of $50,000.

Alta Futin (Kansas Legislature) said the legislature's prior website deployment met an immediate compliance deadline but was implemented under time constraints and without broad stakeholder input. She said staff interviewed several vendors; estimated proposals ranged from about $50,000 to $150,000 depending on scope and subscription needs, and staff recommended a smaller vendor likely to meet requirements at the lower end of that range.

Senator Sykes and other members asked that stakeholder input be built into the procurement and that the site better surface vote counts and testimony submission workflows for constituents. Futin said every vendor considered includes stakeholder-engagement work and that staff checked references with other state agencies that had rehired the recommended vendor.

Majority Leader Croft moved to authorize negotiation with a qualified third-party website design provider and to empower the chair to execute an agreement not to exceed $50,000; the motion was seconded by Majority Leader Blazy and passed by voice vote. The motion requires the project to return to the council if the cost is expected to exceed $50,000.

Staff said the purchase will not follow a formal RFP because the amount is small and the council seeks a rapid stakeholder-informed implementation before the next legislative session.

Next steps: staff will negotiate the agreement with vendor(s) that include stakeholder engagement, implement accessibility and mobile usability improvements, and return to LCC if the cost exceeds the approved cap.