Meg Froelich

Under current law, the Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind coordinates and advocates for the provision of, and access to, services and resources for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind (services and resources). Sections 1 through 11 of the act create the communication services for people with disabilities enterprise (enterprise) and the division for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind (division) within the department of human services to provide these services and resources. Section 8 creates the Colorado division for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind cash fund (cash fund).

Telecommunications relay services (TRS) are provided for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind in the state through a monthly surcharge that voice service providers collect from their telephone customers (monthly surcharge) and through a charge that sellers of prepaid wireless telecommunications services impose at the point of sale (charge). Under current law, the public utilities commission (commission) imposes the monthly surcharge and charge, and the amounts collected are disbursed for the Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind to provide services and resources; for the state librarian to provide reading services for the blind and print-disabled; and for the talking book library. Sections 4 and 15 transfer the authority to impose the monthly surcharge and charge to the enterprise, while maintaining the commission's responsibility for collecting the monthly surcharge from voice service providers. Money disbursed for services and resources is credited to the cash fund for use by the enterprise and the division.

For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $5,550,636 of monthly surcharge and charge amounts collected by voice service providers and prepaid wireless telecommunications services retailers to the departments of human services, education, regulatory agencies, revenue, personnel, and law to implement the act.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)