CHAPTER 336

S.P. 595 - L.D. 1613

An Act To Promote the Use of Public Safety

Telecommunications Equipment by the Deaf and

Hard-of-hearing Community

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 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 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