GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1186

Short Title:  Dual Party Relay System.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Payne; and Bowman.
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Referred to:  Infrastructure.
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April 12, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE NORTH CAROLINA UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A NORTH CAROLINA DUAL PARTY RELAY SERVICE TO ENSURE THAT THE HEARING IMPAIRED, SPEECH IMPAIRED, OR PERSONS SIMILARLY IMPAIRED HAVE ACCESS TO BASIC TELEPHONE SERVICE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 62 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 62-133.3.  Dual party relay service.
	(a)	The General Assembly finds and declares that it is in the public interest to provide access to all public telecommunication services to all citizens of this State, particularly to hearing impaired persons, speech impaired persons, or persons who are similarly impaired.
	(b)	The North Carolina Utilities Commission shall establish, implement, administer, and promote a statewide dual party telephone relay service, and contract for the administration of such relay service, for the utilization of telecommunication services by hearing impaired persons, speech impaired persons, or persons who are similarly impaired.  The Commission may use assistance from public agencies of this State or from private organizations to accomplish the purposes of this section.
	(c)	The Commission shall require local exchange telephone companies in this State to impose a monthly maintenance surcharge on all residential and business local exchange access lines.  The amount of the surcharge shall be determined by the Commission based upon the amount of funding necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section and provide the services on an ongoing basis.  The local exchange companies shall collect the surcharge from their customers and transfer the monies collected to a private fund, designated by the Commission, to be held separate from all other funds and used solely for the administration of the relay service.  No additional fees other than this surcharge shall be imposed on the user of the relay service."
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.