Act No. 237

Public Acts of 2016

Approved by the Governor

June 23, 2016

Filed with the Secretary of State

June 24, 2016

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 22, 2016

STATE OF MICHIGAN

98TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2016

Introduced by Senators Robertson, O’Brien, Knollenberg, Warren, Zorn, Gregory, Johnson, Hertel, Bieda, Hood, Knezek, Hune, Schuitmaker, Smith, Pavlov, Booher and Emmons

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 690

AN ACT to amend 1991 PA 179, entitled “An act to regulate and insure the availability of certain telecommunication services; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state agencies and officials; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending subheading E of article 3 and section 315 (MCL 484.2315), as amended by 2011 PA 58.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

E. SERVICES FOR THE DEAF, DEAFBLIND, HARD OF HEARING, OR SPEECH-IMPAIRED

Sec. 315. (1) The commission shall require each provider of basic local exchange service to provide a text telephone-telecommunications device for the deaf at cost to each individual who is certified as deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired by a licensed physician, licensed audiologist, or qualified state agency, and to each public safety answering point as defined in section 102 of the emergency 9-1-1 service enabling act, 1986 PA 32, MCL 484.1102.

(2) The commission shall require each provider of basic local exchange service to provide a telecommunication relay service whereby individuals using a text telephone-telecommunications device for the deaf can communicate with individuals using a voice telephone through the use of third party intervention or automated translation. Each provider of basic local exchange service shall determine whether to provide a telecommunication relay service on its own, jointly with other basic local exchange providers, or by contract with other telecommunication providers. The commission shall determine the technical standards and essential features of text telephone and telecommunication relay service to ensure their compatibility and reliability.

(3) Rates and charges for calls placed through a telecommunication relay service shall not exceed the rates and charges for calls placed directly from the same originating location to the same terminating location. Unless ordered by the commission, a provider of a telecommunications relay service is not required to handle calls from public telephones except for calls charged collect or to cash, a credit card, or a third party number.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, a provider may offer discounts on toll calls where a text telephone-telecommunications device for the deaf is used. The commission shall not prohibit such discounts on toll calls placed through a telecommunication relay service.

(5) The commission shall establish a rate for each subscriber line of a provider to allow the provider to recover costs incurred under this section and may waive the costs assessed under this section to individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired. The rate established by the commission under this subsection may be assessed as a line item on an end-user’s bill.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor