An Act To Provide Funds for Voice-activated Telephones
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0233
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: ROSEN, COURTNEY, PLOWMAN, SMITH, CAMPBELL
Amends: 26 MRSA §1419-A

Legislative Document 
No. 233 
S.P.71 
In Senate, January 16,2007 
An Act To Provide Funds for Voice-activated Telephones 
Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator ROSEN of Hancock. 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Cosponsored by Senators: COURTNEY of York, PLOWMAN of Penobscot, SMITH of 
Piscataquis, Representative: CAMPBELL of Newfield. 
Pr1JlteJ \111 rt·l·~,,:It.'d r.1pt'1 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 336, § 1, 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 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 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 Division of 
Deafness may draw on the Communications Equipment Fund in accordance with the 
communications equipment plan required under subsection 3. The Division of Deafness 
shall draw on the Communications Equipment Fund to fund the voice-activated telephone 
lending program pursuant to subsection 7. 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 553, Pt. A, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
3. Communications equipment plan. The Division of Deafness shall develop a 
plan to make specialized customer communications equipment available to deaf, hard-of-
hearing or speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities and to distribute money 
from the Communications Equipment Fund. The plan must be developed by the Division 
of Deafness annually, not later than January 1 st, in accordance with the rule-making 
procedures in Title 5, chapter 375. The plan must provide for the expenditure of money 
from the Communications Equipment Fund for the benefit of deaf, hard-of-hearing or 
speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities for the purchase, lease, 
distribution, upgrading, installation, maintenance and repair of specialized customer 
communications equipment capable of serving their needs and may provide for 
expenditures for training in the use of such equipment. 
The plan must provide for 
expenditures for the voice-activated telephone lending program in accordance with 
subsection 7. 
Persons who are profoundly deaf or speech-impaired or who have a 
disability so that they are unable to use the telephone for expressive or receptive 
communications, as verified by a written report from an otologist, an audiologist or a 
physician, are eligible for assistance from the Communications Equipment Fund. The 
plan must ensure that persons with disabilities have access to appropriate specialized 
customer communications equipment to meet their individual needs. 
The plan must 
include specific criteria that govern the priorities assigned to various persons who need 
this equipment. 
The criteria must take into account household income, degree of 
impairment, need for emergency communications, living arrangements and other factors 
, 
determined relevant by the Division of Deafness. In developing the criteria, the Division 
of Deafness shall consult with the advisory council established in section i 413-C and 
other advisory councils representing the interests of persons with disabilities. 
Sec. 3. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§7 is enacted to read: 
7. 
Voice-activated telephone lending program. There is established within the 
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services the voice-activated telephone lending program, referred 
to in this subsection as "the program," for the purpose of lending voice-activated 
telephones to persons with disabilities and, as appropriate, to deaf, hard-of-hearing or 
speech-impaired persons. 
The program must lend a minimum of 5 voice-activated 
telephones. The Communications Equipment Fund must be used to fund the program. 
The bureau shall adopt rules to implement the program, including but not limited to rules 
governing program eligibility, criteria to govern the priorities assigned to various persons 
who need this equipment and terms of a lending agreement. Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a program within the Department of Labor, Bureau of 
Rehabilitation Services to lend voice-activated telephones to persons with disabilities and 
to deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired persons. The program is required to lend out 
a minimum of 5 voice-activated telephones. This program is funded by the 
Communications Equipment Fund, which receives funds from the state universal service 
fund.