Text: HF02227 Text: HF02229 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 216B.3, Code Supplement 2003, is 1 2 amended by adding the following new subsection: 1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 18. Plan, establish, administer, and 1 4 promote a statewide newsline for the blind program to provide 1 5 audio news and information services to blind or visually 1 6 impaired persons residing in this state. 1 7 a. The commission may enter into necessary contracts and 1 8 arrangements with the national federation for the blind to 1 9 provide for the delivery of newspapers over the telephone, 1 10 furnished by the national federation for the blind. 1 11 b. The commission shall annually submit a budget for the 1 12 program to the Iowa utilities board, which may approve or 1 13 disapprove the budget in part or in whole. 1 14 Sec. 2. Section 216B.4, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2003, 1 15 is amended to read as follows: 1 16 The director may accept financial aid from the government 1 17 of the United States for carrying out rehabilitation and 1 18 physical restoration of the blind and for providing library, 1 19 news, and information services to persons who are blind and 1 20 persons with physical disabilities. 1 21 Sec. 3. Section 477C.6, Code 2003, is amended to read as 1 22 follows: 1 23 477C.6 BUDGET. 1 24 The board shall review and approve the proposed annual 1 25 budget of the relay service program authorized in section 1 26 477C.3,andthe equipment distribution program authorized in 1 27 section 477C.4, and the newsline for the blind program 1 28 authorized in section 216B.3, subsection 18. 1 29 Sec. 4. Section 477C.7, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2003, 1 30 is amended to read as follows: 1 31 The board shall impose an annual assessment to fund the 1 32 programs established in this chapter and in section 216B.3, 1 33 subsection 18, upon all telephone utilities providing service 1 34 in the state as follows: 1 35 Sec. 5. Section 477C.7, subsection 3, Code 2003, is 2 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2 3. The telephone utilities shall remit the assessed 2 3 amounts quarterly to a special fund, as defined under section 2 4 8.2, subsection 9. The moneys in the fund are appropriated 2 5 solely to plan, establish, administer, and promote the relay 2 6 service and equipment distribution programs and the newsline 2 7 for the blind program. 2 8 EXPLANATION 2 9 This bill establishes a program within the department for 2 10 the blind to provide news and information services by 2 11 telephone access to blind and visually impaired persons who 2 12 reside in this state. 2 13 The bill grants administrative authority over the program 2 14 to the commission for the blind. The commission may enter 2 15 into an agreement to access the existing newsline services of 2 16 the national federation for the blind. The commission must 2 17 submit an annual budget for the program for review and 2 18 approval by the Iowa utilities board. The program shall be 2 19 funded in the form of annual assessments upon all telephone 2 20 utilities providing service in Iowa in the same manner as 2 21 currently assessed to support dual-party relay services for 2 22 the deaf. 2 23 LSB 5316HH 80 2 24 kk/sh/8
Text: HF02227 Text: HF02229 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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