Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 77 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS (§§ 77-1-1 — 77-NEW-NEW-004) › Chapter 3 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES (§§ 77-3-NEW — 77-3-809) › Article 11 - DUAL PARTY RELAY SYSTEM TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES FOR THE DEAF AND HEARING OR SPEECH IMPAIRED (§§ 77-3-501 — 77-3-511) › Section 77-3-503 - Definitions; funding of agency expenses; deposit of monies into State General Fund

The following terms and phrases when used in this article shall have the following meaning ascribed to them, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(a)
"Deaf person" means an individual who is unable to hear and understand oral communication, with or without the assistance of amplification devices.
(b)
"Dual party relay system" means a procedure whereby a deaf, hearing or speech impaired TDD user can communicate with an intermediary party, who then orally relays the first party's message or request to a third party, or vice versa.
(c)
"Exchange access facility" means the access from a particular telephone subscriber's premise to the telephone system of a local exchange telephone company. Exchange access facilities include local exchange company provided access lines, private branch exchange trunks and centrex network access registers, all as defined by tariffs of telephone companies as approved by the commission.
(d)
"Hard of hearing person" means an individual who has suffered a permanent hearing loss which is severe enough to necessitate the use of amplification devices to hear oral communication.
(e)
"Hearing impaired person" means a person who is deaf or hard of hearing.
(f)
"Ring signaling device" means a mechanism such as a flashing light which visually indicates that a communication is being received through a telephone line. This phrase also means a mechanism such as adjustable volume ringers and buzzers which audibly and loudly indicate an incoming telephone communication.
(g)
"Speech impaired person" means an individual who has suffered a loss of oral communication ability which prohibits normal usage of a standard telephone handset.
(h)
"Telecommunications device" or "telecommunications device for the deaf, hearing or speech impaired" or "TDD" means a keyboard mechanism attached to or in place of a standard telephone by some coupling device used to transmit or receive signals through telephone lines.
(i)
"Telephone company" means every corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership, and person and their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, and every city or town owning, operating or managing any telephone line or part of a telephone line used in the conduct of the business of affording telephonic communication service for hire within this state.
(j)
"Telephone line" includes conduits, ducts, poles, wires, cables, crossarms, receivers, transmitters, instruments, machines, appliances, instrumentalities and all devices, including radio and other advancements of the art of telephony, real estate, easements, apparatus, property and routes used and operated to facilitate the business of affording telephonic communication services to the public for hire within this state.
(k)
"Trust fund" means the Dual Party Relay Service Trust Fund which is a specific trust to be created by the Public Service Commission and to be established, invested, managed and maintained for the exclusive purpose of fulfilling the provisions of this article according to Public Service Commission rules and regulations.
From and after July 1, 2016, the expenses of this agency shall be defrayed by appropriation from the State General Fund and all user charges and fees authorized under this section shall be deposited into the State General Fund as authorized by law.
From and after July 1, 2016, no state agency shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent or other charge for services or resources received by authority of this section.
Laws, 1990, ch. 321, § 2, eff. 3/12/1990.
Amended by Laws, 2016, ch. 459, SB 2362, 55, eff. 7/1/2016.