BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1
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             SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
                            DEBRA BOWEN, CHAIRWOMAN
          

          AB 2784 -  Chavez                                 Hearing  
          Date:  June 11, 2002                 A
          As Introduced:  February 25, 2002       FISCAL               
              B
                                                                       
            
                                                                       
            2
                                                                       
            7
                                                                       
            8
                                                                       
            4

                                   DESCRIPTION
           
           Current law  establishes programs to enable and subsidize  
          telecommunications service for the deaf, hearing impaired,  
          visually impaired and handicapped, collectively known as  
          the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP).  

           Current law  establishes a fund in the state treasury to  
          receive monies in support of this program and to disburse  
          monies to pay for this program.  

           Current law  requires certification by a licensed physician  
          or surgeon before a customer can participate in the  
          disabled DDTP program.

           This bill  permits a licensed optometrist to provide the  
          certification.

                                    BACKGROUND
           
          Since the 1980's, the California Public Utilities  
          Commission (CPUC) has administered programs to assist the  
          deaf and disabled in using telephone service.  The programs  
          provide specialized telecommunications equipment,  
          discounted telephone rates, and a telecommunications  











               translator service, known as a dual-party relay service,  
               through which the deaf can communicate with others.   
               Funding for these programs is provided by a surcharge on  
               telecommunications service, which has been kept in accounts  
               administered by the CPUC.  The aggregate program costs are  
               about $50 million annually. 

               Roughly 34,000 blind or visually impaired people take  
               advantage of the DDTP program, representing 19% of total  
               program participants, with about 800 new enrollees each  
               month.  These participants can obtain speed dialing  
               capabilities and extra operator assistance without charge  
               through the DDTP program.

                                          COMMENTS
                                              
               The Legislature has previously expanded the types of  
               professionals who can certify qualification for the DDTP  
               programs to include professionals other than physicians or  
               surgeons.  AB 1051 (Bordonaro), Chapter 38, Statutes of  
               1998, authorized licensed hearing aide dispensers to  
               qualify deaf individuals for the DDTP program.
                
                                      ASSEMBLY VOTES
                
               Assembly Floor                     (67-0)
               Assembly Appropriations Committee  (23-0)
               Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee(12-0)

                                         POSITIONS
                
                Sponsor:
                
               California Optometric Association
               Society for the Blind

               Support:
                
               California Council of the Blind
               California Public Utilities Commission

                Oppose:
                
               None on file


















          










          Randy Chinn 
          AB 2784 Analysis
          Hearing Date:  June 11, 2002