§ 16-9-205 — Program established; purpose; responsibilities of the division of vocational rehabilitation

(a) The division in consultation with the committee, shall
establish and administer a program to provide specialized
telecommunications equipment and message relay services to
persons who are communications impaired. The purpose of the
program shall be to:
(i) Furnish specialized telecommunications equipment
to meet the needs of persons who are communications impaired and
who might be otherwise disadvantaged in their ability to obtain
such equipment; and
(ii) Provide a message relay system to allow persons
who are communications impaired to communicate via the
telecommunications network with noncommunications impaired
persons.
(b) In carrying out its responsibilities, the division
shall:
(i) Develop rules, policies and procedures, as may be
necessary, to govern administration of the program and ensure
the program is in compliance with any applicable state and
federal laws or regulations;
(ii) As part of its request for proposals, include
provision for an equipment distribution program and utilize a
preexisting state agency means test, if available, to determine
eligibility for participation in the specialized
telecommunications equipment program;
(iii) Implement the message relay system as described
in subsection (a)(ii) of this section within one (1) year
following the effective date of this act and, to the extent
funds generated by the special fee specified in W.S. 16-9-209
are available, implement the specialized telecommunications
equipment distribution program described in subsection (a)(i) of
this section within two (2) years following the effective date
of this act;
(iv) Perform any other duties necessary to properly
oversee administration of the program.