This bill restructures the administration of services for individuals with disabilities in Colorado, particularly those who are blind, print-disabled, deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind:
Sections 2-14: Establish a new Communication Services for People with Disabilities Enterprise to manage services previously overseen by the state librarian and the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind. The enterprise will fund services through an enterprise fee and manage two cash funds: the Communication Services Fund and the Reading Services for the Blind Fund.
Section 1: Transfers the reading services for the blind program from the state librarian to the new enterprise.
Sections 16-17: Redirect 77% of the existing telecommunications relay services (TRS) surcharge collected by telephone providers to the new funds to support the enterprise’s services.
Sections 15 and 18-27: Include necessary conforming amendments across related statutes.
This bill centralizes and streamlines funding and administration for communication services for people with disabilities in Colorado.
Summary
Under current law, the state librarian administers the reading
services for the blind program by supporting privately operated reading services for individuals who are blind or print-disabled, and the Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind coordinates and advocates for the provision of, and access to, services and resources for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind (services and resources). Sections 2 through 14 of the bill create the communication services for people with disabilities enterprise (enterprise) to provide these services and resources through imposition of an enterprise fee and administration of the communication services for people with hearing disabilities enterprise cash fund (communication services fund) and the reading services for the blind enterprise cash fund (reading fund). Section 1 repeals the reading services for the blind function of the
state librarian, which function is transferred to the enterprise in section 8.
Telecommunications relay services (TRS) are provided for
individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind in the state through a monthly surcharge that wireline voice service providers collect from their telephone customers. Sections 16 and 17 transfer 77% of the money collected from the TRS monthly surcharge to the communication services fund and the reading fund based on the enterprise's imposition of the enterprise fee to finance the services and resources that the enterprise provides. Sections 15 and 18 through 27 make conforming amendments.
