Print Friendly

SENATE BILL NO. 1508

View Daily Data Tracking History

View Bill Text

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact

---

Text to be added within a bill has been marked with Bold and
Underline. Text to be removed has been marked with
Strikethrough and Italic. How these codes are actually displayed will
vary based on the browser software you are using.

This sentence is marked with bold and underline to show added text.

This sentence is marked with strikethrough and italic, indicating
text to be removed.

Daily Data Tracking History

---

S1508......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS - DEAF - Amends existing law to provide that the Public
Utilities Commission shall establish a fund for the provision of relay
services, including customer premises equipment, for the deaf and hard of
hearing and to delete language providing that no funds derived from charges
billed and collected pursuant to another statute may be used for the
acquisition of end-user telephones.

02/19    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/20    Rpt prt - to St Aff

Bill Text

S1508


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1508

                                BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR THE  DEAF  AND  HARD  OF  HEARING;
 3        AMENDING SECTION 61-1304, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES
 4        COMMISSION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A  FUND  FOR THE PROVISION OF RELAY SERVICES
 5        INCLUDING CUSTOMER PREMISES EQUIPMENT FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING, TO
 6        MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION AND TO DELETE LANGUAGE PROVIDING THAT NO FUNDS
 7        DERIVED FROM CHARGES BILLED AND COLLECTED PURSUANT TO ANOTHER STATUTE  MAY
 8        BE  USED  FOR  THE  ACQUISITION  OF END-USER TELEPHONES; AND TO PROVIDE AN
 9        EFFECTIVE DATE.

10    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

11        SECTION 1.  That Section 61-1304, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
12    amended to read as follows:

13        61-1304.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  RELAY  SERVICES  FUND. (1) The administrator
14    shall establish a fund for the provision of relay services under this chapter,
15     not  including customer premises equipment, to be known and desig-
16    nated as the Idaho telecommunications relay services fund, in such  depository
17    and  under such  regulations   rules  as shall be estab-
18    lished by the commission, to which shall be credited:
19        (a)  All monetary contributions, gifts and grants received by the adminis-
20        trator;
21        (b)  All charges billed and collected pursuant to section  61-1305,  Idaho
22        Code.
23        (2)    No funds derived from charges billed and collected pursuant to
24    section 61-1305, Idaho Code, shall be used for the  acquisition  of  end  user
25    text telephones.
26        (3)    All  moneys  deposited  in  the telecommunications relay fund
27    shall be expended for the purpose of defraying the expenses, debts  and  costs
28    incurred  in  carrying  out  the provisions of this chapter, and for defraying
29    administrative expenses of the administrator, including necessary expenses for
30    consultants to the administrator, expenses for travel, supplies and  equipment
31    and  other  expenses  of the administrator necessary for the implementation of
32    the provisions of this chapter. All moneys credited to the  telecommunications
33    relay  services fund may be expended by the administrator at such times and in
34    such manner as may be authorized by the commission.

35        SECTION 2.  This act shall be in full force and effect on and after  Janu-
36    ary 1, 1999.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact

    





    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    
                                   RS 08022
    
    This legislation would remove the prohibition against using 
    funds in the telecommunications relay services fund for customer 
    premise equipment. It would allow the Idaho Public Utilities 
    Commission to work with the Idaho Council on Deaf and Hard of 
    Hearing to consider setting up an equipment distribution 
    program. The PUC could place income limits on those eligible to 
    receive the equipment and an outside contractor could be used to 
    handle the equipment distribution.
    
    As many as 25 per cent of the Idaho adult population have a 
    hearing loss and at least 10 per cent have trouble hearing normal 
    communication. Approximately 4,000 are deaf. Many of these aren't 
    able to use regular telephone service. Phones which have volume 
    and tone controls for people who are hard of hearing usually cost 
    more than $100. Telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
    begin at $220 and go up to $500, depending on the features.
    
    Twenty five other states currently have such a program, 
    including Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and 
    Nevada.
    
                                 FISCAL NOTE
    
    If the PUC agreed to the service, it could cost $90,000 per year, 
    based on what Montana is spending. Phone companies currently pay 
    three cents per access line to the telecommunications relay 
    service fund. This would require an increase to three and one 
    half cents.
    
    Statement of purpose/fiscal note
    
    S1508