209.253. Statewide dual-party relay system, establishment by PSC--advisory assistive technology council to administer--rulemaking authority.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

209.253. Statewide dual-party relay system, establishment by PSC--advisory assistive technology council to administer--rulemaking authority.

Statewide dual-party relay system, establishment by PSC--advisoryassistive technology council to administer--rulemaking authority.

209.253. 1. The commission shall provide a statewide dual-partysystem, using third-party intervention to connect deaf, hearing-impairedand speech-impaired persons and offices of organizations representing thedeaf, hearing-impaired and speech-impaired with telecommunication devicesfor the deaf (TDDs) and the telephone system, making available reasonableaccess to telephone service to eligible subscribers.

2. The Missouri assistive technology advisory council shall provide astatewide telecommunications equipment distribution program makingavailable reasonable access to basic telecommunications service foreligible subscribers who are unable to use traditional telecommunicationsequipment due to disability.

3. The program administrator of the statewide telecommunicationsequipment distribution program shall:

(1) Provide consumer support and outreach;

(2) Develop administrative procedures to assure an appropriate matchbetween an individual with a disability and adaptive telecommunicationsequipment;

(3) Provide a full range of adaptive telecommunications equipment tomeet the needs of individuals with all types of disabilities;

(4) Procure and distribute adaptive telecommunications equipment inthe most cost-effective manner possible; and

(5) Expend no less than ten percent of total expenditures forconsumer support and outreach and no more than twenty percent of totalexpenditures for program administration in any fiscal year.

4. Missouri public or nonpublic organizations shall be used todeliver consumer support and outreach and administrative services in allcontracts and subcontracts for a statewide telecommunications equipmentdistribution program.

5. The Missouri assistive technology advisory council shall be theprogram administrator for the statewide telecommunications equipmentdistribution program.

6. The Missouri assistive technology advisory council may promulgaterules necessary to implement and administer the telecommunicationsequipment distribution program, but no rule or portion of a rulepromulgated pursuant to the authority of this section shall becomeeffective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo.

7. The Missouri assistive technology advisory council may enter intocontracts as necessary to carry out the telecommunications equipmentdistribution program, including but not limited to contracts withdisability organizations.

8. Nothing in sections 209.251 to 209.259 shall be construed torequire the state to purchase, install or maintain equipment on an eligiblesubscriber's premises which will enable the eligible subscriber toparticipate in the dual-party relay system.

9. Nothing in sections 209.251 to 209.259 shall be construed torequire the state to provide adaptive telecommunications equipment at nocost to all eligible subscribers. The Missouri assistive technologyadvisory council shall adopt procedures to limit eligibility based onfinancial means, existing access to adaptive telecommunications equipment,prior usage of the equipment distribution program, and other factors deemedappropriate by the program administrator. The scope of the program shallbe limited to reasonable access to basic telecommunications as defined bythe program administrator, subject to appropriations.