Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 1.djvu/1014

 102 STAT. 976

PUBLIC LAW 100-394—AUG. 16, 1988

Public Law 100-394 100th Congress An Act Aug. 16, 1988 [H.R. 2213] Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988. Commiinications and telecommunications. 47 USC 609 note. 47 USC 610 note.

To require certain telephones to be hearing aid compatible.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That this Act may be cited as the "Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988". FINDINGS

SEC. 2. The Congress finds that— (1) to the fullest extent made possible by technology and medical science, hearing-impaired persons should have equal access to the national telecommunications network; (2) present technology provides effective coupling of telephones to hearing aids used by some severely hearing-impaired persons for communicating by voice telephone; (3) anticipated improvements in both telephone and hearing aid technologies promise greater access in the future; and (4) universal telephone service for hearing-impaired persons will lead to greater employment opportunities and increased productivity. HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 3. (a) Subsection (b) of section 710 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 610) is amended to read as follows: "(b)(l) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), the Commission shall require that— "(A) all essential telephones, and "(B) all telephones manufactured in the United States (other than for export) more than one year after the date of enactment of the Hearing Aid C!ompatibility Act of 1988 or imported for use in the United States more than one year after such date, provide internal means for effective use with hearing aids that are designed to be compatible with telephones which meet established technical standards for hearing aid compatibility. "(2)(A) The initial regulations prescribed by the Commission under paragraph (1) of this subsection after the date of enactment of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 shall exempt from the requirements established pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection only— "(i) telephones used with public mobile services; "(ii) telephones used with private radio services; "(iii) cordless telephones; and "(iv) secure telephones. "(B) The exemption provided by such regulations for cordless telephones shall not apply with respect to cordless telephones manufactured or imported more than three years after the date of enactment of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988.

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