SF 1064

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to telecommunications; establishing an
accessible electronic information service for blind
and disabled persons; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52, subdivisions
2, 4; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 248.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Assessment.

The commissioner of commerce new text begin and
the commissioner of employment and economic development new text end shall
annually recommend to the commission an adequate and appropriate
surcharge and budget to implement sections 237.50 to 237.56 new text begin and
248.061, respectively new text end . The Public Utilities Commission shall
review the deleted text begin budget deleted text end new text begin budgets new text end for reasonableness and may modify the
budget to the extent it is unreasonable. The commission shall
annually determine the funding mechanism to be used within 60
days of receipt of the recommendation of the deleted text begin department
deleted text end new text begin departments new text end and shall order the imposition of surcharges
effective on the earliest practicable date. The commission
shall establish a monthly charge no greater than 20 cents for
each customer access line, including trunk equivalents as
designated by the commission pursuant to section 403.11,
subdivision 1.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 237.52,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Appropriation.

Money in the fund is
appropriated to the commissioner of commerce to implement
sections 237.51 to 237.56 new text begin and to the commissioner of employment
and economic development to implement section 248.061 new text end .

Sec. 3.

new text begin [248.061] DEFINITIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Scope. new text end

new text begin The definitions in this section
apply to sections 248.061 and 248.062.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Accessible electronic information
service. new text end

new text begin "Accessible electronic information service" means news
and other timely information, including newspapers, provided to
eligible individuals from a multistate service center, using
high-speed computers and telecommunications technology for
acquisition of content and rapid distribution in a form
appropriate for use by those individuals.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Blind and disabled person. new text end

new text begin "Blind and disabled
person" means an individual who is eligible for library loan
services through the Library of Congress and the State Library
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped under Code of Federal
Regulations, title 36, section 701.10, subsection (b).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Commissioner. new text end

new text begin "Commissioner" means the
commissioner of employment and economic development.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Qualified entity. new text end

new text begin "Qualified entity" means an
agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of the state
or a nonprofit organization that:
new text end

new text begin (1) provides access for an eligible person to read daily
newspapers through producing audio or Braille editions by
computer;
new text end

new text begin (2) obtains electronic news text through direct transfer
arrangements made with participating news organizations and does
not replicate their electronic editions, which are otherwise
available on the Internet; and
new text end

new text begin (3) provides a means of program administration and reader
registration on the Internet.
new text end

Sec. 4.

new text begin [248.062] DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner must enter into an agreement with a
qualified entity to provide an accessible electronic information
service for blind and disabled persons. This service must be
planned for continuation from year to year.
new text end