53-19-306. Program established -- purpose. (1) The committee shall establish and administer a program to provide specialized telecommunications equipment and services to persons with disabilities and to assist appropriate facilities in obtaining hearing screening equipment that determines if infants have a hearing impairment. The legislature may allocate funds to the Montana school for the deaf and blind to be used for the purposes established in subsection (2).
     (2) The purpose of the program is to:
     (a) furnish specialized telecommunications equipment to meet the needs of persons with disabilities;
     (b) provide a telecommunications relay service system to connect persons with disabilities with all phases of public telecommunications service, including telecommunications service to emergency services and public safety agencies as defined in 10-4-101; and
     (c) determine if infants are hearing-impaired as early as possible in order to reduce long-term costs in providing assistance.

     History: En. Sec. 7, Ch. 669, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 396, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 64, Ch. 472, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 297, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 18, Sp. L. August 2002.