PRINTER'S NO. 2004
No. 1584 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY T. STEVENSON, BEBKO-JONES, BOYD, BUNT, CAPPELLI,
CAWLEY, COSTA, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
HARHAI, HARHART, HENNESSEY, KELLER, KOTIK, LEACH, LEDERER,
LEWIS, McGEEHAN, PALLONE, PHILLIPS, PRESTON, READSHAW,
REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SEMMEL, SHANER, TIGUE, WALKO, WASHINGTON,
WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 11, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 11, 2003
AN ACT
1 Requiring emergency service providers to install and maintain
2 telecommunications display devices and telecommunications
3 display device numbers.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
8 Service Provider Telecommunications Display Device Number Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Emergency service provider." Any of the following:
14 (1) A volunteer fire company or fire department or fire
15 company owned or operated by a municipality.
16 (2) A volunteer ambulance service or for-profit
1 ambulance service.
2 (3) A volunteer rescue squad.
3 (4) A hospital or other medical facility that accepts
4 telephone calls for emergency services.
5 "Telecommunications display device" or "TDD." A telephone
6 that is equipped with a keyboard and a display to assist persons
7 who are hearing or speech impaired to send and receive typed
8 messages.
9 Section 3. TDDs and TDD numbers for emergency service
10 providers.
11 (a) Duty to maintain.--Each emergency service provider in
12 this Commonwealth shall maintain a TDD and a TDD number in order
13 for persons who are hearing or speech impaired to send and
14 receive emergency communications with the emergency service
15 provider.
16 (b) Publication of TDD numbers.--Each emergency service
17 provider in this Commonwealth shall publish its TDD number in
18 each telephone directory or other publication in which the
19 emergency service provider publishes its other telephone numbers
20 for the public to use.
21 Section 4. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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