Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 751, Pt. A, §4, is further amended to read:

2. Telecommunications Equipment Fund. There is established the Telecommunications Equipment Fund to be used by the Division of Deafness within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. The fund is nonlapsing. The Division of Deafness may accept gifts or grants for the purposes of this section. These gifts and grants and authorized appropriations must be deposited in the Telecommunications Equipment Fund and disbursed in accordance with this section. The Telecommunications Equipment Fund may be used for purchase, lease, distribution, upgrading, installation, maintenance and repair of specialized customer telecommunications equipment for deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities. The Division of Deafness may draw on the Telecommunications Equipment Fund in accordance with the telecommunications equipment plan required under subsection 3.

Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§5 is enacted to read:

5. Assessment on telecommunications carriers.__The Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, beginning in fiscal year 1999-2000, shall assess annually telecommunications carriers in accordance with this subsection and deposit the funds collected in the Telecommunications Equipment Fund.__The bureau shall assess telecommunications carriers in accordance with a schedule established by the Public Utilities Commission in accordance with this subsection.

A.__The Public Utilities Commission shall determine which carriers are to be assessed under this subsection based on an evaluation of the extent of business activity undertaken by carriers in the State and the practicalities of making the assessment.__The Public Utilities Commission shall include as many carriers as reasonably practicable in order to ensure a fair and broad allocation of the assessment.

B.__The Public Utilities Commission shall establish an assessment schedule that is proportional to the gross annual revenues of the carriers identified for assessment and that will generate an annual aggregate of $85,000.

C.__A telecommunications carrier doing business in this State, including a provider of interstate services and a provider of wireless services, shall provide to the Public Utilities Commission, on request, records relating to its gross revenues.__ At the request of a carrier, the Public Utilities Commission may issue a protective order in