By Mr. Scaccia of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3374) of Angelo Scaccia that provision be made for reduced telephone rates for deaf residents of the Commonwealth.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Angelo M. Scaccia

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to establish reduced telephone rates for deaf residents of the commonwealth.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 84-A-H of Chapter 6 as created by St. 1974, ch. 805, section 1 is hereby amended by adding the following new section 84I: —
Section 84I. The Office of Deafness shall be responsible for insuring that every deaf resident of the Commonwealth shall be eligible for reduced telephone rates. The office shall require that wherever there are five or more public telephones located in close proximity to each other, one of these shall be a telephone which can be used by a deaf person. Reduced telephone rates as provided for in this section shall be charged to the customer in accordance with the message unit rate approved by the Department. Reduced telephone rates shall be available only to residential telephone customers.