CHAPTER 181—TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBILITY FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED AND SPEECH-IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS
18102.
Federal telecommunications system.
18103.
Research and development.
18104.
TTY installation by Congress.
§18101. Definitions
In this chapter—
(1) Federal agency.—The term "federal agency" has the same meaning given that term in section 102 of this title.
(2) TTY.—The term "TTY" means a text-telephone used in the transmission of coded signals through the nationwide telecommunications system.
(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1290.)
§18102. Federal telecommunications system
(a) Regulations To Ensure Accessibility.—The Administrator of General Services, after consultation with the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the Interagency Committee on Computer Support of Handicapped Employees, the Federal Communications Commission, and affected federal agencies, shall prescribe regulations to ensure that the federal telecommunications system is fully accessible to hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals, including federal employees, for communications with and within federal agencies.
(b) Federal Relay System.—The Administrator shall provide for the continuation of the existing federal relay system for users of TTY's.
(c) Directory.—The Administrator shall assemble, publish, and maintain a directory of TTY's and other devices used by federal agencies to comply with regulations prescribed under subsection (a).
(d) Publication of Access Numbers.—The Administrator shall publish access numbers of TTY's and such other devices in federal agency directories.
(e) Logo.—After consultation with the Board, the Administrator shall adopt the design of a standard logo to signify the presence of a TTY or other device used by a federal agency to comply with regulations prescribed under subsection (a).
(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1290.)
In subsection (a), the words "prescribe regulations to ensure" are substituted for "by regulation, take such actions in accordance with this section as may be necessary to assure" to eliminate unnecessary words.
In subsection (c), the text of 40:762a(b)(2)–(4) and (c) is omitted as executed and obsolete. The words "In carrying out subsection (a) of this section" are omitted as unnecessary.
§18103. Research and development
(a) Support for Research.—The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission, shall seek to promote research by federal agencies, state agencies, and private entities to reduce the cost and improve the capabilities of telecommunications devices and systems that provide accessibility to hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.
(b) Planning To Assimilate Technological Developments.—In planning future alterations to and modifications of the federal telecommunications system, the Administrator shall take into account—
(1) modifications that the Administrator determines are necessary to achieve the objectives of section 18102(a) of this title; and
(2) technological improvements in telecommunications devices and systems that provide accessibility to hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals.
(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1291.)
Subsection (b)(1) is substituted for "results of the analysis required by section 762a(b)(3) of this title" because 40:762a(b)(3), which is omitted as executed and obsolete (see the revision note for section 18102(b) of the revised title), provided for an analysis and report regarding modifications that the Administrator determined were necessary to achieve the objectives of 40:762a(a), which is restated in section 18102(a) of the revised title.
§18104. TTY installation by Congress
Each House of Congress shall establish a policy under which Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate may obtain TTY's for use in communicating with hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals, and for the use of hearing-impaired and speech-impaired employees.
(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1291.)
The words "As soon as practicable" and "as the case may be" are omitted as unnecessary.