CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

                        SENATE BILL 5999

                        57th Legislature

                      2002 Regular Session

Passed by the Senate February 14, 2002   YEAS 49   NAYS 0 President of the Senate Passed by the House March 7, 2002   YEAS 93   NAYS 0

CERTIFICATE I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is  SENATE BILL 5999 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

Speaker of the       House of Representatives

Secretary

Approved Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

FILED

Governor of the State of Washington

Secretary of State                   State of Washington

          _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5999

          _______________________________________________

             Passed Legislature - 2002 Regular Session

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators B. Sheldon, Fairley, Carlson, Snyder, Rossi, Costa, Eide, Kline and Winsley

Read first time 02/13/2001.  Referred to Committee on Economic Development & Telecommunications.

Modifying the telephone assistance program.

    AN ACT Relating to the Washington telephone assistance program; amending RCW 80.36.005, 80.36.410, and 80.36.470; and providing an expiration date.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 80.36.005 and 1993 c 249 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((As used in this chapter)) The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 80.36.410 through 80.36.475, unless the context ((indicates)) clearly requires otherwise((,)).

(1) "Community agency" means local community agencies that administer community service voice mail programs.

(2) "Community service voice mail" means a computerized voice mail system that provides low-income recipients with:  (a) An individually assigned telephone number; (b) the ability to record a personal greeting; and (c) a private security code to retrieve messages.

(3) "Department" means the department of social and health services.

(4) "Service year" means the period between July 1st and June 30th.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 80.36.410 and 1987 c 229 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    The legislature finds that universal telephone service is an important policy goal of the state.  The legislature further finds that:  (1) Recent changes in the telecommunications industry, such as federal access charges, raise concerns about the ability of low-income persons to continue to afford access to local exchange telephone service; and (2) many low-income persons making the transition to independence from receiving supportive services through community agencies do not qualify for economic assistance from the department.  Therefore, the legislature finds that it is in the public interest to take steps to mitigate the effects of these changes on low-income persons.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 80.36.470 and 1990 c 170 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Adult recipients of department-administered programs for the financially needy which provide continuing financial or medical assistance, food stamps, or supportive services to persons in their own homes are eligible for participation in the telephone assistance program.  The department shall notify the participants of their eligibility.

(2) Participants in community service voice mail programs are eligible for participation in the telephone assistance program after completing use of community service voice mail services.  Eligibility shall be for a period including the remainder of the current service year and the following service year.  Community agencies shall notify the department of participants eligible under this subsection.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  Sections 2 and 3 of this act expire June 30, 2003.

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