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Committee advances bill to expand devices purchasable with Delaware fund for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Summary
House Bill 53, sponsored by Representative Morrison, was released from the Technology Committee. The bill broadens eligible equipment purchased from the state telephone‑surcharge fund to include modern assistive devices, sets administrative and reserve limits, and requires an annual report on fund use.
Representative Morrison introduced House Bill 53 to amend Title 26 of the Delaware Code to expand the types of telecommunications and alerting devices that may be purchased with a fund paid for by a small surcharge on telephone bills to benefit people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities.
The bill would expand eligible items beyond legacy equipment to include everyday assistive devices such as alarm clocks, baby monitors, doorbells and smoke detectors that provide visual or vibrating alerts; hearing‑aid compatible cell phones; computer captioning packages; large visual displays and pagers; phones with amplifiers; and hearing‑related emergency response kits. Representative Morrison said the change responds to advocates who noted the fund has been buying equipment…
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