DAR File No. 38278

Public Service Commission, Administration

Section R746-343-15

Surcharge

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 38278
Filed: 02/05/2014 01:13:39 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

Section 54-8b-10 requires the Commission to impose a Hearing and Speech Impaired Surcharge on local exchange and mobile telephone service. The surcharge is used to provide telecommunications devices to hearing and speech impaired customers. The statutory maximum surcharge is $0.20. The Hearing and Speech Impaired Fund, into which the surcharges are deposited, is increasing because surcharge revenues are exceeding expenses. After evaluation from the Division of Public Utilities, the recommendation was made to decrease the surcharge.

Summary of the rule or change:

The rule change will lower the Hearing and Speech Impaired Surcharge from $0.05 to $0.02. To accommodate billing cycles of telecommunications companies, the Public Service Commission anticipates making this rule change effective 05/01/2014.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 54-8b-10

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

This rule change should decrease or eliminate the growth of the Hearing and Speech Impaired Fund. The change should not impact the ability of the Commission to use the fund to provide telecommunications devices to hearing or speech-impaired customers. Additionally, this rule change should provide a small cost savings of $0.03 per month per account to state government entities who purchase local exchange or mobile telephone service.

local governments:

This rule change should provide a small cost saving of $0.03 per month per account to local governments who purchase local exchange or mobile telephone service.

small businesses:

This rule change should provide a small cost saving of $0.03 per month per account to small businesses who purchase local exchange or mobile telephone service.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

This rule change should provide a small cost saving of $0.03 per month per account to small businesses who purchase local exchange or mobile telephone service.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

None--The telephone service providers who are currently collecting $0.05 will continue to collect the lower surcharge of $0.02. The change should not create any compliance cost.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

This rule change reflects sound fiscal management of the Hearing and Speech Impaired Fund, with a goal of maintaining collections into the fund close to anticipated expenses. Utah customers of local exchange or mobile telephone service will experience a cost savings of $0.03 per month per account.

Ron Allen, Commission Chairman

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Public Service Commission
Administration
HEBER M WELLS BLDG
160 E 300 S
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111-2316

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Sheri Bintz at the above address, by phone at 801-530-6714, by FAX at 801-530-6796, or by Internet E-mail at sbintz@utah.gov
• Jordan White at the above address, by phone at 801-530-6712, by FAX at , or by Internet E-mail at jordanwhite@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

03/31/2014

This rule may become effective on:

04/07/2014

Authorized by:

Jordan White, Legal Counsel

R746. Public Service Commission, Administration.

R746-343. Rule for Deaf, Severely Hearing or Speech Impaired Person.

R746-343-1. Purpose and Authority.

This rule is to establish a program as required in Section 54-8b-10 which will provide telecommunication devices to certified deaf, or severely hearing or speech impaired persons, who qualify under certain conditions, and to provide a dual relay system using third party intervention to connect deaf or severely hearing or speech impaired persons with normal hearing persons by way of telecommunication devices.

 

R746-343-2. Definitions.

A. Definitions

1. "Applicant" is a person applying for a Telecommunication Device for the Deaf, signal device, or other communication device.

2. "Audiologist" is a person who has a Master's or Doctoral degree in Audiology, is licensed in Audiology in Utah, and holds the Certificate of Clinic Competence in Audiology from the American Speech/Language/Hearing Association, or its equivalent.

3. "Deaf" is a hearing loss that requires the use of a TDD to communicate effectively on the telephone.

4. "Provider" is a service provider who agrees to be, if determined by the Public Service Commission, the administrator of the program or a portion of the program.

5. "Distribution center" is a facility authorized by the provider to distribute TDDs and signal devices, personal communicators, or other devices required by a recipient to communicate effectively on the telephone.

6. "Dual relay system" is the provision of voice and teletype communication between users of TDDs and other parties.

7. "Otolaryngologist" is a licensed physician specializing in ear, nose and throat medicine.

8. "Recipient" is a person who receives a TDD, signal device, personal communicator, or other device to communicate effectively on the telephone.

9. "Speech language pathologist" is a person who has a Master's or Doctoral degree in Speech Language Pathology in Utah, and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech/Language Pathology from the American Speech Language Hearing Association, or its equivalent.

10. "Severely hearing impaired" is a hearing loss that requires use of TDD to communicate effectively on the telephone.

11. "Severely Speech Impaired" is a speech handicap, or disorder, that renders speech on an ordinary telephone unintelligible.

12. "Signal device" is a mechanical device that alerts a deaf, deaf-blind, or severely hearing impaired person of an incoming telephone call.

13. "Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, or TDD, is an electrical device for use with a telephone that utilizes a key board. It may also have an acoustic coupler, display screen or braille display to transmit and receive messages.

14. "Telephone relay center" is a facility administered by the provider to provide dual relay service.

15. "Commission" is the Utah Public Service Commission.

 

R746-343-3. Eligibility Requirements.

A. An applicant is eligible if he is deaf, severely hearing impaired, or severely speech impaired and is eligible for assistance under a low income public assistance program. The impairment must be established by the certification on an application form by a person who is permitted to practice medicine in Utah, an audiologist, otolaryngologist, speech/language pathologist, or qualified personnel within a state agency. The applicant must provide evidence that they are currently eligible, though it is not necessary that they be participating in a low income public assistance program.

C. The provider may require additional documentation to determine applicant's eligibility.

D. During the training session required in Section R746-343-8, Training, the applicant must demonstrate an ability to send and receive messages with a TDD or other appropriate devices.

 

R746-343-4. Approval of an Application.

A. Approved Application--

1. When an original application has been approved, the provider shall inform the applicant in writing of:

a. when the original application has been approved;

b. the location of the distribution center or designated place where the applicant may receive a TDD;

c. the date and time of the training session as required in Section R746-343-8.

2. When the request for a replacement TDD, signal device, or other device has been approved, the provider or the distribution center shall inform the recipient of the procedure for obtaining a replacement device.

B. Denied Applications--If an original application or replacement request is denied, the provider shall inform the applicant in writing of the reasons for the denial and of applicable procedures for appeal. Denial notices shall be sent by mail. The notice shall be accompanied by instructions on the review process.

 

R746-343-5. Review by the Provider.

A. An applicant or recipient whose request for an original or replacement device has been denied may request that the provider review the decision.

B. The request for review shall be in writing and shall specify the basis for review and must be received by the provider within 30 days of the receipt of the notice of denial.

C. Within ten days of receiving the request for review, the provider shall inform the applicant or recipient in writing of the disposition of the request.

 

R746-343-6. Review by the Commission.

A. Within 20 days of the notice of denial from the provider for review, the applicant or recipient may request in writing a hearing by the Commission. The request shall specify the reasons for challenging the decision.

 

R746-343-7. Distribution Process.

A. Distribution Centers shall:

1. Upon notice from the provider, distribute TDDs, signal devices, or other specified devices, to persons determined eligible under Section R746-343-3, Eligibility Requirements, and who reside in Utah;

2. Require each recipient or legal guardian to sign an agreement, Condition of Acceptance, form supplied by the provider;

3. Forward completed application forms and agreement forms to the provider;

4. Inform the provider of those applicants who fail to report for training and receipt of devices.

B. The provider shall implement a program to facilitate distribution of devices and provide training as required.

C. Neither the distribution center nor the provider shall be responsible for providing replacement paper for devices, the payment of the recipient's monthly telephone bill, purchase or lease cost of recipient's telephone, or the cost of replacement light bulbs for signal devices.

 

R746-343-8. Training.

A. The provider shall be responsible for seeing that training is provided to each recipient and legal guardian, or significant other, in accordance with guidelines established by the provider.

 

R746-343-9. Replacement Devices.

A. The distribution center shall provide devices to persons determined by the provider to be eligible under Sections R746-343-3, Eligibility Requirements, and R746-343-8, Training, accept devices that need repair, and deliver devices returned by recipients to a repair center designated by the provider.

 

R746-343-10. Ownership and Liability.

A. TDDs, signal devices, and other devices provided by this program are the property of the state.

B. A recipient or guardian shall return a TDD, signal device, or other device, to the provider or distribution center when the recipient no longer intends to reside in Utah, is no longer qualified for the program, does not need the device, or has been notified by the provider to return the device.

C. Other than normal usage, recipients are liable for damage to or loss of a device issued under conditions of acceptance.

 

R746-343-11. Out of State Use.

No person shall remove a TDD, signal device, or other device from the state for a period longer than 90 days without written permission of the provider.

 

R746-343-12. Dual Relay Service--Telephone Relay Center.

A. A telephone relay center shall provide dual relay service seven days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays.

B. A telephone relay center shall hire operators with specialized communication skills who shall be salaried employees.

C. A telephone relay center shall require the operators to relay each message accurately, except as otherwise specifically provided in Section R746-343-14, Criminal Activity.

 

R746-343-13. Confidentiality and Privacy Requirements.

A. Except as otherwise specifically provided in Section R746-343-14, Criminal Activity, a telephone relay center shall protect the privacy of persons to whom relay services are provided and shall require each operator to maintain the confidentiality of each telephone message.

B. The confidentiality and privacy of persons to whom relay services are provided will be protected by means of the following:

1. The relay center shall not maintain any form of permanent copies of messages relayed by their operators or allow the content of telephone messages relayed by their operators to be communicated to non-staff members.

2. Persons using the relay system shall not be required to provide identifying information until the party they are calling is on line, and shall only be required to identify themselves to the extent necessary to fulfill the purpose of their call.

3. Relay operators shall not leave messages with third parties unless instructed to do so by the person making the call.

4. Persons using the relay system may file complaints about the relay service to the telephone relay center or the provider, who shall review each complaint.

 

R746-343-14. Criminal Activity.

A. Relay operators shall not knowingly transmit telephone messages that are made in furtherance of a criminal activity as defined by Utah or federal law.

B. The confidentiality and privacy requirements of Section R746-343-13, Confidentiality and Privacy Requirements, do not apply to telephone conversations made in furtherance of a criminal activity as defined by Utah or federal law.

 

R746-343-15. Surcharge.

A. The surcharge will be imposed on each telephone number of each residential and business customer in this state.

B. The surcharge established by the Commission in accordance with Subsection 54-8b-10(4) is [$.05]$.02 per month for each residential and business telephone number, subject to the limitation on surcharges related to mobile telecommunication service specified in Utah Code Ann. Subsection 54-8b-10(4)(b)(ii).

C. Subject to Subsection R746-343-15(D), the telephone number surcharge will be collected by each telecommunications corporation providing public telecommunications service to the customer and submitted, less administrative cost, to the Public Service Commission on a quarterly basis.

D. The provider will submit its budget for annual review by the Public Service Commission.

E. The telephone surcharge need not be collected by a telecommunications corporation if the amount collected would be less than the actual administrative costs of that collection. In that case, the telecommunications corporation shall submit to the Commission, in lieu of the revenue from the surcharge collection, a breakdown of the anticipated costs and the expected revenue from the collection showing that the costs exceed the revenue.

 

KEY: public assistance, physically [handicapped]impaired, rates, telecommunications

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [July 1, 2013]2014

Notice of Continuation: December 10, 2012

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 54-8b-10