Legislation

* § 92-a. Special telephone equipment for deaf and hard of hearing
persons. 1. The commission shall require any regulated landline
telephone corporation providing local exchange service to sell or lease
special telecommunication equipment to a person certified as deaf or
hard of hearing where the addition of such equipment is necessary to
enable such person to access and utilize the local exchange network. The
sale of such equipment shall be at an amount not to exceed the actual
purchase price by the corporation and the lease of such equipment shall
be at a rate to be determined by the commission. Any person who leases
such equipment shall be permitted to apply the lease payments toward the
equipment's purchase.

2. The commission shall authorize the establishment of the New York
telecommunications relay service workforce. In developing a request for
proposals to provide telecommunications relay service the commission
shall include the following minimum provisions:

(a) The provider of telecommunications relay service shall, in
performing services under a contract awarded pursuant to this
subdivision, employ or engage a workforce, all of whom shall reside
within Onondaga county or an adjoining county within the state of New
York;

(b) A minimum of eighty percent of all calls utilizing
telecommunications relay service must be routed to and through the New
York telecommunications relay service workforce; and

(c) A contract to provide telecommunications relay service shall be
renewable for up to five years, and the commission shall be empowered to
promulgate and adopt all regulations required to implement the terms of
this subdivision.

* NB Effective until June 30, 2030

* § 92-a. Special telephone equipment for deaf and hard of hearing
persons. The commission shall require any regulated landline telephone
corporation providing local exchange service to sell or lease special
telecommunication equipment to a person certified as deaf or hard of
hearing where the addition of such equipment is necessary to enable such
person to access and utilize the local exchange network. The sale of
such equipment shall be at an amount not to exceed the actual purchase
price by the corporation and the lease of such equipment shall be at a
rate to be determined by the commission. Any person who leases such
equipment shall be permitted to apply the lease payments toward the
equipment's purchase.

* NB Effective June 30, 2030