Sec. C-1. Comprehensive plan. The Division of Deafness within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services in the Department of Labor and the Telecommunications Relay Services Advisory Council, in consultation with an association representing the State's telephone companies, the Commission to Study the Funding and Distribution of Teletypewriters and Other Telecommunications Equipment for People with Disabilities and other advisory councils representing the interests of persons with disabilities, shall develop a comprehensive long-range plan to provide deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities direct access to specialized customer telecommunications equipment and other telecommunications equipment throughout the State. The plan must be presented to the 119th Legislature by January 15, 1999. The plan must develop recommendations for a request-for-proposal to develop statewide direct access to telephone networks for deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired persons and persons with disabilities. The request-for-proposal recommendations may address bid specifications and performance standards for the following contract provisions: public awareness and outreach programs, including a toll-free number; customer intake and connection procedures; statewide distribution and storage capacity; customer access to network services on a 24-hour-a-day basis, including equipment installation and training; and maintenance and repairs of specialized customer telecommunications equipment and other telecommunications equipment.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.
Effective April 15, 1998.
| Revisor of Statutes Homepage | Subject Index | Search | Laws of Maine | Maine Legislature |
