An Act To Promote the Use of Public Safety Telecommunications Equipment by the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Community
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1613
Committee Amendment CA_B_S286 (Senate)
Amends: 26 MRSA §1419-A, 35-A MRSA §7104

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·S· to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613, Bill, "An 
Act 
To 
Promote 
the 
Use 
of Public Safety Telecommunications 
Equipment by the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Community" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
. Sec. I. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
553, Pt. A, §3, is further amended to read: 
Z. 
Communications Equipment Fund. 
There is established the 
Communications Equipment Fund to be used by the Division of 
Deafness within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. 
The fund 
is nonlapsing. 
The fund receives money transferred by the Public 
Utilities Commission from the universal service fund pursuant to 
Title 35-A, section 7104. 
The Division of Deafness may accept 
gifts or grants, including, but not limited to, federal grants, 
for the purposes of this section. 
Funds transferred from the 
universal service fund pursuant to Title 35-A, section 7104 and 
all gifts 
and grants 
and 
authorized appropriations 
must 
be 
deposi ted in the Communications Equipment Fund and disbursed in 
accordance with this section. 
The Communications Equipment Fund 
may 
be 
used 
for 
purchase, 
lease, 
distribution, 
upgrading, 
installation, 
maintenance 
and 
repair of 
specialized 
customer 
communications 
equipment 
for 
deaf, 
hard-of-hearing 
or 
speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities and for 
training 
in 
the 
use 
of 
such 
equipment, 
except 
that 
funds 
transferred to the fund pursuant to paragraph A may be used only 
in accordance with subsection 6. 
The Division of Deafness may 
draw on the Communications Equipment Fund in accordance with the 
communications equipment plan required under subsection 3. 
Page l-LR0870(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. .13 to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613 
A. 
Notwithstanding any other 
prov~s~on of law, the State 
Controller shall transfer $60,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 and 
$90,000 beginning in fiscal year 2006-07 from the General 
Fund undedicated revenue to the Communications 
Equipment 
Fund for the purposes specified in subsection 6. 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. 
EmergenGY alert telecommunications 
service; 
discount 
fund. 
This 
subsection 
applies 
to 
the 
extent 
funds 
are 
transferred from the General Fund to the Communications Equipment 
Fund 
established in subsection 
for 
the 
purposes 
of this 
subsection. 
A person who has been certified by the Division of 
Deafness as being deaf or hard-of-hearing and has an income of 
less than 135% of the federal poverty level must receive 
a 
discount of up to SIO per month in the service charge for any 
wireless communications device or 2-way pager that is used to 
receive emergency alerts issued by any state or federal agency. 
Such a person must receive a $10 discount except when the service 
charge for the wireless communications device or 2-way pager is 
less than $10 per month, in which case the person must receive a 
discount 
equal 
to 
the 
service 
charge 
for 
the 
wireless 
communications device or 2-way pager. 
A company required to 
provide the discount is entitled to recover the discount amount 
from 
the Communications 
Equipment Fund. 
Administrative costs 
associated with implementing this subsection may be paid from 
funds appropriated to the Communications Equipment Fund for the 
purposes 
of 
this 
subsection. 
The 
Bureau 
of 
Rehabilitation 
Services 
shall 
adopt 
rules 
to 
establish 
the 
process 
for 
certifying eligibility with the Division of Deafness and for the 
process to be used by wireless and paging companies in recovering 
discounted revenue from the Communications Equipment Fund. 
Rules 
adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules 
as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §7104, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
553, Pt. A, §4, is amended to read: 
5. 
Funds for COllmunications Equipment Fund. 
The commission 
shall annually transfer $85,000 from a state universal service 
fund established pursuant to this section to the Communications 
Equipment Fund established under Title 26, section 1419-A. 
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If the Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services 
does not receive from federal or other sources funds in addition 
to the $85,000 sufficient to carry out the purposes of Title 26, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~, to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613 
section 1419-A, the commission, at the request of the Department 
of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, may transfer from 
the state universal service fund to the Communications Equipment 
Fund an additional ameQB~S-aS-~eB~-as+ $37.500. 
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The commission may reg:uire contributions to the state universal 
service 
fund 
in 
an 
amount 
necessary 
to 
collect 
amounts 
transferred pursuant to this subsection. 
Sec. 4. Bulk bidding. 
The Department of Labor, 
Bureau of 
Rehabilitation 
Services 
and 
the 
State 
Purchasing 
Agent 
are 
authorized and shall attempt, 
to the extent practicable, 
to 
reduce the service charges for wireless communications devices or 
2-way 
pagers 
incurred 
by 
deaf 
or 
hard-of-hearing 
persons 
eligible for discounts under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
26, section l4l9-A, subsection 6 through appropriate bidding or 
other procedures to achieve bulk discounts on such charges. 
Sec. 5. Report. 
The 
Department 
of 
Labor, 
Bureau 
of 
Rehabilitation 
Services 
shall 
report 
to 
the 
joint standing 
committee 
of 
the 
Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction 
over 
appropriations 
and 
financial 
affairs 
and 
the 
joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities 
and 
energy 
matters 
by 
January 
5, 
2007 
recommendations 
for 
appropriate 
funding 
levels 
to 
continue 
the 
discount 
program 
established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 
l4l9-A, subsection 6. 
Sec. 
6. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
The 
following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Communications Equipment Fund 
Ini tiati ve: 
Allocates funds to provide discounts of up to $10 
per month to deaf or hard-of-hearing persons with incomes of less 
than 135% of the federal poverty level for the service charge for 
any wireless communications device or 2-way pager that is used to 
receive emergency alerts issued by any state or federal agency. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
..... ';-
-, .~.:l; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT -E" to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2005-06 
$60,000 
$60,000 
2006-07 
$90,000 
$90,000' 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the Joint 
Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy, replaces the bill. 
This amendment does the following: 
1. 
It provides to a deaf or hard-of-hearing person who has 
an income of less than 135% of the federal poverty level a 
discount of up to $10 per month in the service charge for any 
wireless communications device or 2-way pager that is used to 
receive emergency alerts issued by any state or federal agency; 
2. 
It provides funding for this program from the General 
Fund; 
3. 
It authorizes 
and directs the Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and the State Purchasing Agent 
to attempt, 
to the extent practicable, to reduce the service 
charges 
for 
wireless 
communications 
devices 
or 
2-way 
pagers 
incurred 
by deaf or hard-of-hearing persons eligible for the 
discounts established under the amendment through an appropriate 
bidding or other procedure to achieve bulk discounts on such 
charges; 
4. 
It 
directs 
the 
Di.'partment 
of 
Labor, 
Bureau 
of 
Rehabilitation Services to report to the joint standing committee 
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and 
financial 
affairs 
and 
the 
joint 
standing 
committee 
of 
the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters 
by January 5, 2007 recommendations for appropriate funding levels 
to continue the discount program established under the amendment; 
5. 
It removes a 
prov~s~on currently prohibiting the Public 
Utilities Commission from requiring contributions to the state 
universal 
service 
fund 
in order 
to 
cover 
amounts 
currently 
authorized to be transferred from that fund to the Communications 
Equipment Fund; and 
6. 
Adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMM/rrEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/24/05 ;::t;?ae 
LD 1613 
LR 0870(02) 
An Act To Promote the Use of Public Safety Telecommunications Equipment by the Deaf and Hard-of-
hearing Community 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment B 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Transfers 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Minority Report 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
$60,000 
$60,000 
($60,000) 
$60,000 
2006-07 
$90,000 
$90,000 
($90,000) 
$90,000 
Projections 
2007-08 
$90,000 
$90,000 
($90,000) 
$90,000 
Projections 
2008-09 
$90,000 
$90,000 
($90,000) 
$90,000 
This bill transfers $60,000 in General Fund revenue in fiscal year 2005-06 and $90,000 in General Fund revenue in 
fiscal year 2006-07 to the Communications Equipment Fund within the Department of Labor to provide discounts of 
up to $10 per month to a deaf or hard-of-hearing person who has an income ofless than 135% of the federal poverty 
level for any wireless communications device or 2-way pager that is used to receive emergency alerts issued by any 
state of federal agency. 
Allowing the Public Utilities Commission to require additional contributions of $37,500 to the State Universal Service 
Fund to fund amounts transferred to the Communications Equipment Fund upon request of the Bureau of 
Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Labor may increase dedicated revenue to the state universal fund. 
Additional costs to the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services associated with implementing the 
provisions of this legislation can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0870(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1