§7505. Telecommunication devices for persons who are hard of hearing or speech impaired required in public facilities
1.
State buildings.
The Department of Administrative and Financial Services shall require the installation and maintenance of telecommunication devices for communication for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened or speech impaired who rely on those devices for telephone communications in locations accessible to the public in state buildings where a primary function is the delivery of service to the general public in accordance with a plan developed by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Information Services and the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services.
[PL 2021, c. 348, §55 (AMD).]
2.
Other facilities serving the public.
If public telephones are provided in a public facility, it is the responsibility of the owner or manager of the public facility to provide equal access by providing at least one telecommunication device for persons who are hard of hearing or speech impaired in the public facility.
[PL 2021, c. 348, §55 (AMD).]
3.
Public facilities.
For the purposes of this section, the following kinds of facilities shall be considered public facilities:
A.
Airport terminals serving scheduled flights;
[PL 1987, c. 503, §1 (NEW).]
B.
Bus and train depots; and
[PL 1987, c. 503, §1 (NEW).]
C.
Hospitals.
[PL 1987, c. 503, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 1987, c. 503, §1 (NEW).]
4.
Notice.
A sign noting the availability and location of the telecommunication device for persons who are hard of hearing or speech impaired must be posted by the owner of the facility in a conspicuous location within each public facility covered by this section.
[PL 2021, c. 348, §55 (AMD).]
5.
Devices.
The requirements of this section may be satisfied by installation of telecommunications devices for the deaf as defined in section 8702, subsection 6, or other devices approved by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened.
[PL 2009, c. 174, §25 (AMD).]
6.
Relief.
A violation of this section is unlawful public accommodations discrimination under Title 5, section 4592, and any person aggrieved may assert that person's rights pursuant to Title 5, chapter 337.
[PL 1989, c. 671 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 503, §1 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 671 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 708, §J11 (AMD). RR 1995, c. 1, §30 (COR). PL 2009, c. 68, §4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 174, §§24, 25 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 348, §55 (AMD).