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H0183.........................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
TELEPHONIC READING ACT - Adds to existing law to provide for the adoption of
the "Telephonic Reading Act"; to provide duties of the State Library Board; to
provide a telephonic reader service for blind, visually impaired and other
disabled citizens; and to create the Telephonic Reader Service Fund with a
user surcharge on telephone service.
02/06 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/07 Rpt prt - to St Aff
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ||||
Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session - 2003
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 183
BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO ADOPTION OF THE TELEPHONIC READING ACT; AMENDING TITLE 56, IDAHO
3 CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW CHAPTER 12, TITLE 56, IDAHO CODE, TO PRO-
4 VIDE A SHORT TITLE, TO STATE LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS, TO DEFINE TERMS, TO
5 PROVIDE DUTIES OF THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD, TO CREATE THE TELEPHONIC READER
6 SERVICE FUND AND TO ESTABLISH A USER SURCHARGE.
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
8 SECTION 1. That Title 56, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby amended
9 by the addition thereto of a NEW CHAPTER, to be known and designated as Chap-
10 ter 12, Title 56, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
11 CHAPTER 12
12 TELEPHONIC READING ACT
13 56-1201. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be known and cited as the
14 "Telephonic Reading Act."
15 56-1202. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature hereby finds and declares
16 that:
17 (1) Thousands of Idahoans have disabilities, including blindness or
18 visual impairment, that prevent them from using conventional print material.
19 (2) Conventional agencies and nonprofit organizations provide specialized
20 materials, including books and magazines prepared in Braille, audio and large
21 print formats.
22 (3) The technology transcription methods and means of distribution used
23 for these materials are labor intensive and cannot support rapid dissemination
24 to individuals in rural and urban areas throughout the state.
25 (4) A lack of direct and prompt access to information included in news-
26 papers, magazines, schedules, newsletters, announcements and other time-
27 sensitive materials limits educational opportunities, literacy, and full par-
28 ticipation in society by blind and visually impaired persons.
29 (5) The creation and storage of information by computers result in elec-
30 tronic files used for publishing and distribution.
31 (6) The use of high speed computer and telecommunications technology com-
32 bined with customized software provides a practical and cost-effective means
33 to convert electronic text information, including daily newspapers, into syn-
34 thetic speech suitable for statewide distribution by telephone.
35 (7) Recent reduction in interstate telephone rates, particularly for high
36 volume service makes statewide telephonic distribution of electronic text
37 based information to eligible users both efficient and cost-effective for the
38 state.
39 (8) Federal funds are available to support statewide toll-free access to
40 daily newspapers and other timely information of local, state and national
41 interest through a system known as NEWSLINE, providing an efficient and
2
1 cost-effective means of reader registration, content acquisition and inter-
2 state telecommunications support.
3 (9) Telephonic distribution of time-sensitive information, including
4 information contained in daily newspapers, will enhance the state's current
5 efforts to meet the needs of blind, visually impaired, and disabled citizens
6 for access to information that is otherwise available in print, thereby reduc-
7 ing isolation and supporting full integration and equal access for such indi-
8 viduals.
9 56-1203. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:
10 (1) "Blind, visually impaired and other disabled persons" means those
11 individuals who are eligible for library loan services as set forth in 36 CFR
12 701.10(b).
13 (2) "Qualified entity" means a nonprofit organization or agency, instru-
14 mentality or political subdivision of the state that:
15 (a) Operates a nationally available, multistate service center to provide
16 audio reproduction of daily newspapers and other timely information by
17 using high speed computer technology for centralized acquisition, process-
18 ing and dissemination of content;
19 (b) Provides a means of program administration and reader registration on
20 the internet.
21 (3) "Telephonic reading service" means audio information provided by
22 telephone through a nationally available, multistate service center to regis-
23 tered readers in all parts of the state including the interstate acquisition
24 and distribution of daily newspapers and other information.
25 56-1204. DUTIES OF THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD. The state library board shall
26 provide access to a telephonic reading service for blind, visually impaired
27 and other disabled citizens and shall secure access to low cost interstate and
28 intrastate rates for telecommunications.
29 The telephonic reading service shall be planned for continuation from year
30 to year and administered through a contract or agreement with a qualified
31 entity.
32 56-1205. TELEPHONIC READER SERVICE FUND. There is hereby established in
33 the state treasury the telephonic reader service fund (TRSF) for the purpose
34 of providing access to a telephonic reading service as provided in this chap-
35 ter. There shall be deposited in the TRSF the revenues derived from a state-
36 wide user surcharge on all local telephone service. The surcharge shall not
37 exceed two cents (2) per line charge, the actual amount to be determined by
38 the state library board. The funds in the TRSF shall, to the extent appropri-
39 ated, be expended for the purposes of this chapter. All interest earned shall
40 be used for the telephonic reading service.
41 Providers of local telephone service shall remit the surcharge revenue on
42 a quarterly basis. The surcharge set forth in this section shall be collected
43 by all telephone corporations, including telephone corporations subject to the
44 provisions of this chapter and mutual nonprofit and cooperative telephone cor-
45 porations providing the service upon which the surcharge is levied.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS12692
The purpose of this legislation is to create a telephonic reading
service for the blind which will provide accessibility to
newspapers and other printed materials for the blind and other
physically disabled individuals who cannot read print. Text is
translated from a computer feed into high quality synthetic
speech and can be accessed by touch-tone telephone.
The telephonic reading service shall be administered by the Idaho
State Library and shall be accessible at no cost through touch-
tone telephone to qualified legally blind and physically disabled
readers. The Idaho Falls Post Register and the Idaho Statesman
are 2 of more than 180 newspapers which will be accessible on the
telephonic reading service. Other materials of special interest
to the blind and physically disabled can be placed on the service
at the discretion of the Idaho State Library.
This service shall be funded by imposing a surcharge of twenty-
four cents (24›)per year [two cents (2›) per month] on local
phone lines.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no fiscal impact on the general fund of the State
of Idaho. Approximately ninety-six thousand dollars ($96,000)
will be raised by means of a surcharge on local phone lines
throughout the State. The cost of the basic telephonic reading
service is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) per year.
Approximate cost of phone service for users of the telephonic
reading service is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per year.
Additional set-up for new newspapers will be approximately
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per year. Administration
costs are approximately thirty-one thousand dollars ($31,000) per
year. This will be covered by the surcharge on local phone
lines.
Contact
Name: Mr. Larry Streeter
Phone: 208/332-6914
Name: Ms. Ramona Walhof
Phone: 208/343-1377
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE H 183