1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to telecommunications; establishing an
1.3 	accessible electronic information service for blind
1.4 	and disabled persons; appropriating money; amending
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52, subdivisions
1.6 	2, 4; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.7 	Statutes, chapter 248.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52,
1.10 	subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.11 		Subd. 2.Assessment.  The commissioner of commerce and
1.12 	the commissioner of employment and economic development shall
1.13 	annually recommend to the commission an adequate and appropriate
1.14 	surcharge and budget to implement sections 237.50 to 237.56and
1.15 	248.061, respectively.  The Public Utilities Commission shall
1.16 	review the budget budgets for reasonableness and may modify the
1.17 	budget to the extent it is unreasonable.  The commission shall
1.18 	annually determine the funding mechanism to be used within 60
1.19 	days of receipt of the recommendation of the department 
1.20 	departments and shall order the imposition of surcharges
1.21 	effective on the earliest practicable date.  The commission
1.22 	shall establish a monthly charge no greater than 20 cents for
1.23 	each customer access line, including trunk equivalents as
1.24 	designated by the commission pursuant to section 403.11,
1.25 	subdivision 1.

1.26 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52,
2.1 	subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.2 		Subd. 4.Appropriation.  Money in the fund is
2.3 	appropriated to the commissioner of commerce to implement
2.4 	sections 237.51 to 237.56and to the commissioner of employment
2.5 	and economic development to implement section 248.061.

2.6 	Sec. 3. [248.061] DEFINITIONS.
2.7 		Subdivision 1.Scope. The definitions in this section
2.8 	apply to sections 248.061 and 248.062.
2.9 		Subd. 2.Accessible electronic information
2.10 	service. "Accessible electronic information service" means news
2.11 	and other timely information, including newspapers, provided to
2.12 	eligible individuals from a multistate service center, using
2.13 	high-speed computers and telecommunications technology for
2.14 	acquisition of content and rapid distribution in a form
2.15 	appropriate for use by those individuals.
2.16 		Subd. 3.Blind and disabled person. "Blind and disabled
2.17 	person" means an individual who is eligible for library loan
2.18 	services through the Library of Congress and the State Library
2.19 	for the Blind and Physically Handicapped under Code of Federal
2.20 	Regulations, title 36, section 701.10, subsection (b).
2.21 		Subd. 4.Commissioner. "Commissioner" means the
2.22 	commissioner of employment and economic development.
2.23 		Subd. 5.Qualified entity. "Qualified entity" means an
2.24 	agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of the state
2.25 	or a nonprofit organization that:
2.26 	(1) provides access for an eligible person to read daily
2.27 	newspapers through producing audio or Braille editions by
2.28 	computer;
2.29 	(2) obtains electronic news text through direct transfer
2.30 	arrangements made with participating news organizations and does
2.31 	not replicate their electronic editions, which are otherwise
2.32 	available on the Internet; and 
2.33 	(3) provides a means of program administration and reader
2.34 	registration on the Internet.

2.35 	Sec. 4. [248.062] DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER.
2.36 	The commissioner must enter into an agreement with a
3.1 	qualified entity to provide an accessible electronic information
3.2 	service for blind and disabled persons.  This service must be
3.3 	planned for continuation from year to year.