§24-2C-4. Availability of tel-assistance service; determination of eligibility; promulgation of rules.

(a) All eligible telecommunications carriers shall make tel-assistance services available to qualified low-income consumers pursuant to tariffs or agreements filed with and approved by the Public Service Commission.

(b) Insofar as permitted under federal law, eligible telecommunications carriers may file with the Public Service Commission tariffs or agreements that, without limitation, offer tel-assistance service which includes a broader group of services, or make tel-assistance service available to a broader group of low-income residential consumers.

(c) The Public Service Commission shall establish rules to implement the provisions of this article. The rules shall include, but not be limited to, procedures governing the application for and the provision of tel-assistance service; the determination, calculation and certification of the revenue deficiency resulting from the provision of tel-assistance service; criteria for establishing maximum levels of revenue deficiencies that may be claimed; establishing the methods by which telephone utilities shall maintain records pertaining to such deficiency and the methods by which such deficiency shall be calculated; and providing for alternate methodologies to simplify the record keeping of the eligible telecommunications carriers. The rules shall be promulgated pursuant to section seven, article one of this chapter and adopted within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this article. The Public Service Commission shall timely amend the rules thereafter as may be required by any provision of state or federal law.

(d) The Department of Human Services shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to establish, procedures to inform eligible telecommunications carriers of the eligibility of applicants for tel-assistance service, to assist applicants for tel-assistance service in proving their eligibility therefor, to determine on a continuing basis the eligibility of persons receiving tel-assistance service, and communicate such determinations to the eligible telecommunications carriers. Initially, rules shall be adopted and filed in the state register within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this article and shall not otherwise be subject to the requirements of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. Rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection shall become effective immediately upon filing in the state register and remain in effect until supplanted by legislative rules promulgated pursuant to chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.

(e) The secretary of the Department of Human Services or the Public Service Commission may propose emergency rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement additional provisions of this article as may be required.