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_A_S285 (Senate)
Amends: 26 MRSA §1419-A, 35-A MRSA §7104

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" 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. 1. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
553, Pt. A, §3, is further amended to read: 
2. 
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 mone"y 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 
deposited 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 received 
for the purposes of subsection 6 pursuant to Title 35-A, section 
7104 may be used only in accordance with subsection 6. 
The 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A .. to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613 
Division of Deafness may draw 
Fund 
in 
accordance 
with 
the 
required under subsection 3. 
on the Communications Equipment 
communications 
equipment 
plan 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. 
Emergency alert teleconanunications service. 
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~o of the 
federal poverty level must receive 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. 
Such 
a 
person must 
receive a :tlO 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 amounts 
C'~\scounted from the Communications 
Equipment 
Fund established in subsection 
2. 
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. 
Administrative 
costs 
associated 
with 
implementing this subsection may be paid from funds provided to 
the 
Communications 
Equipment 
Fund 
for 
the 
purposes 
of this 
subsection pursuant to Title 35 A. section 7104. 
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 Communications 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 14l9-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, 
section 14l9-A, the commission, at the request of the Department 
of Labor, Bureau of Rehabili tation Services, may transfer from 
the state universal service fund to the Communications Equipment 
Fund an additional affie~Bts-as-leB§-as* $37,500. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .~. to S.P. 595, L.D. 1613 
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The commission may. upon the reguest of the Department of Labor. 
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and after a finding that the 
funds are necessary and that sufficient attempts have been made 
by the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services to maximize federal 
support to support emergency alert telecommunications service. 
transfer up to $60,000 in fiscal year 2005-06. up to $90.000 in 
fiscal year 2006-07 and u,p to $120.000 in any subsegu,ent fiscal 
year from the state universal service fund established by this 
section to the Commu,nications _ Eguipment Fund established u,nder 
Title 26. section 1419-A for the exclu,siye purpose of supporting 
the discount program established under Title 26. section 1419-A, 
subsection 6. 
The commission may require contribu,tions to the state universal 
service 
fund 
in 
an 
amount 
necessary 
to 
collect 
amounts 
transferred pursuant to this su,bsection. 
Sec. 4. Recommendations. 
The Public Utilities Commission, in 
consultation 
with 
the 
Department 
of 
Labor, 
Bureau 
of 
Rehabilitation Services, shall make recommendations to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
utilities and energy matters prior to January 31, 2008 on whether 
the amount of funding authorized to be transferred pursuant to 
this subsection to the discount program established under Title 
26, section 1419-A, subsection 6 is appropriate and sufficient 
and whether adjustments should be made to the authorized amount. 
Sec. 
5. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Communications Equipment Fund 
The 
following 
Initiative: 
Allocates funds to provide discounts of up to $10 
per month to deaf or hard-of-hearing persons with incomes of less 
than l35~ 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 
~"::;,'! 
.... ~:' 
' ...... ~~:.~ 
':-;" 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
.. 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 majority report of the Joint 
Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy, replaces the bill but 
preserves much of the substance of the bill. The amendment: 
1. 
Establishes 
a 
program 
for 
deaf 
and hard-of-hearing 
individuals with incomes less than 135% of the federal poverty 
level to provide a discount to help offset the costs of owning a 
wireless communications device or 2-way pager that is used to 
receive state or federal emergency notifications; 
2. 
Provides funding for the program by allowing transfers 
of 
funds 
from 
the 
state 
universal 
service 
fund 
to 
the 
Communications Equipment Fund for exclusive use of the program; 
3. 
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; 
4. 
Directs the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation 
with the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, 
to make recommendations prior to January 31, 2008 on whether the 
amount of funding authorized to be transferred from the universal 
service 
fund 
to 
the 
discount 
program 
is 
appropriate 
and 
sufficient 
and 
whether 
adjustments 
should 
be 
made 
to 
the 
authorized amount; and 
5. 
Adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/23/05 ~ac:.. 
LD 1613 
LR0870(03) 
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 tA 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Transfers 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Majority Report 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
$60,000 
$0 
2006-07 
$90,000 
$0 
Projections 
2007-08 
$120,000 
$0 
Projections 
2008-09 
$120,000 
$0 
This bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of $60,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $90,000 in fiscal 
year 2006-07 to the Communications Equipment Fund within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Department of 
Labor, for the cost of providing a discount of up to $10 per month for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals with 
incomes below 135% of federal poverty levels to help offset the service charge for any wireless communications 
device or 2-way pager that is used to receive emergency alerts. This legislation provides that the Public Utilities 
Commission may transfer up to $60,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $90,000 in fiscal year 2006-07 from the state 
universal service fund to the Communications Equipment Fund to support the discount program established in this 
legislation. 
The additional costs associated with this legislation can be absorbed by the Public Utilities Commission utilizing 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR0870(3) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1