An Act To Allow Qualified Health Centers To Obtain Telecommunications Education Access Funding
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0637
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: PERRY, BARTLETT, FLETCHER, PINGREE, SMITH
Amends: 35-A MRSA §7104-B

Legislative Document 
No. 637 
H.P.470 
House of Representatives, February 8, 2005 
An Act To Allow Qualified Health Centers To Obtain 
Telecommunications Education Access Funding 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve BLISS of South Portland. 
IYJ~ 
/)1. 7J?tlC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representative PERRY of Calais, Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland and 
Representatives: FLETCHER of Winslow, PINGREE of North Haven, SMITH of Monmouth. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§I, 1JD is enacted to read: 
D. 
"Qualified health center" umeaps 
a 
federally qualifieq 
health center or a health center that provides free public 
access 
to health care services in medically underserved 
areas if the commission determines, in consultation with the 
Department of Health and Human Services, that including the 
health center as a qualified health center is in the public 
interest. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
522, §l, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Authority. 
Pursuant to the authority granted in section 
7104 and in order to carry out the policy goals established by 
section 7101, 
subsections 
1, 
and 
4, 
the 
commission 
shall 
establish a telecommunications education access fund, referred to 
in this section as the "fund," and require all telecommunications 
carriers offering telecommunications services in the State and 
any other entities identified by 
the 
commission pursuant 
to 
subsection 
to contribute 
to 
the 
fund. 
The 
fund 
must 
be 
available, with any accumulated interest, to 
qualified 
schools~ualified healtp centers 
Fogler Library at the University of Maine to 
costs 
of 
acquiring 
and 
using 
advanced 
teChnologies. 
qualified libraries, 
and the Raymond H. 
assist in paying the 
telecommunications 
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§4. as amended by PL 2001, c. 
522, §2, is further amended to read: 
4. 
Use of fund. 
The fund must be used to provide discounts 
to 
qualified 
libraries, 
qualified 
schools, 
qualified 
health 
centers and the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of 
Maine for the following: 
A. 
Telecommunications services; 
B. 
Internet access; 
C. 
Internal connections; 
D. 
Computers; 
E. 
Training; and 
F. 
Content. 
Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §7104-B, sub-§5, 1[A, as enacted by PL 1999, 
c. 409, §2, is amended to read: 
A. 
To ensure a basic level of connectivity 
qualified schools 
aBeL qualified libraries 
health centers in the State; 
for all of the 
and gualified 
Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§5. 1[B. as amended by PL 200L 
c. 522, §2, is further amended to read: 
B. 
To 
ensure 
that 
all 
qualified 
schools, 
libraries, 
gualified health 
centers 
and 
the 
Fogler Library at the University of Maine are 
using the advanced technology equipment obtained 
fund; 
qualified 
Raymond 
H. 
capable of 
through the 
Sec. 6. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§5. 1[G. as amended by PL 200L 
c. 522, §2, is further amended to read: 
G. 
To provide for the establishment of computer technology 
training programs in schools to provide training to students 
in areas such as, but not limited to, electronic commerce, 
Internet proficiency and World Wide Web-enabled systems; aBe 
Sec. 7. 35-A MRSA §7104-B, sub-§5, 1[H, as enacted by PL 2001, 
c. 522, §2, is further amended to read: 
H. 
To provide for electronic database content 
for 
the 
purposes 
of 
accessing 
information 
aBeLlibrariesT and gualified health centers; and 
to be used 
by 
schools 
Sec. 8. 35-A MRSA §7104-B. sub-§5, 1[1 is enacted to read: 
I. 
To 
provide 
for 
the 
telecommunications 
eguipment 
and 
increased bandwidth necessary to support electronic health 
records 
and telemedicine in rural, 
medically underserved 
areas. 
Sec. 9. 35-A MRSA §7104-B, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
522, §2, is further amended to read: 
7. 
Coordination with existing facilities. 
Any 
existing 
facilities developed to provide services to qualified schools, 
qualified libraries, gualified health centers and the Raymond H. 
Fogler Library at the University of Maine, as directed by the 
commission under this section, must continue to provide services 
to 
qualified 
schools, 
qualified 
libraries, 
gualified 
health 
centers and the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of 
Maine at rates that reflect the incremental costs to use those 
facilities. 
SUMMARY 
This 
bill 
defines 
"qualified 
health 
center" 
and 
adds 
qualified health centers to the list of entities eligible to 
receive 
funding 
from 
the 
telecommunications 
education 
access 
fund. 
It also adds to the guidelines for the Public Utili ties 
Commission to use in allocating money from the fund the provision 
of telecommunications equipment and increased bandwidth necessary 
to support electronic health records and telemedicine in rural, 
medically underserved areas.