1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to telecommunications; requiring for persons 
  1.3             with communication impairments to be eligible to 
  1.4             receive communication devices through the TACIP board, 
  1.5             that they must be able to use the equipment; amending 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.53, subdivision 2.
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.53, 
  1.9   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] To be eligible to obtain a 
  1.11  communication device under this section, a person must be: 
  1.12     (1) ~~at least five years of age~~ able to benefit from and 
  1.13  utilize the equipment for its intended purpose; 
  1.14     (2) communication impaired; 
  1.15     (3) a resident of the state; 
  1.16     (4) a resident in a household that has a median income at 
  1.17  or below the applicable median household income in the state, 
  1.18  except a deaf and blind person applying for a telebraille unit 
  1.19  may reside in a household that has a median income no more than 
  1.20  150 percent of the applicable median household income in the 
  1.21  state; and 
  1.22     (5) a resident in a household that has telephone service or 
  1.23  that has made application for service and has been assigned a 
  1.24  telephone number.