If the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services does not receive from federal or other sources funds in addition to the $85,000 sufficient to carry out the purposes of Title 26, section 1419-A, the commission, at the request of the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, may transfer from the state universal service fund to the Communications Equipment Fund additional amounts as long as:

A. The total transfer in any year does not exceed $122,500; and

B. Any amount in any year in excess of $85,000 is drawn from funds otherwise available in the universal service fund.__ The commission is not authorized to require contributions to the state universal service fund for the purposes of this subsection in order to collect any amount in excess of $85,000 in any year.

Sec. A-5. Application for funds; report. The Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services shall apply for federal homeland security funds administered by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Emergency Management Agency to support the purposes of the Communications Equipment Fund and this Act. The Maine Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters by January 1, 2005 detailing the amount of homeland security funding that has been provided for these purposes and for supporting access to emergency alert and news services for persons who are blind.

Sec. A-6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF

Communications Equipment Fund 0799

Initiative: Provides funds to establish a base allocation in the event federal grant funds are secured to provide emergency alert notification equipment and other services for deaf and hard-of- hearing persons.