Compendium of Budget Information for the 2012 General Session

Business, Economic Development, & Labor
Appropriations Subcommittee

Line Item: Speech and Hearing Impaired

Function

The Speech and Hearing Impaired Program provides telecommunication access twenty-four hours a day to hearing or speech impaired persons through Relay Utah. The services are now contracted through Hamilton Relay Services, Inc. Hamilton employs computer personnel who receive text messages from a TTY (text telephone) and other updated telecommunications equipment. An example of this equipment includes amplified telephones or CapTel phones that amplify sound and provide written text messaging to the person who is deaf or hard of hearing.

The Commission loans specialized telecommunications equipment to individuals who have hearing or speech barriers. The Commission has an advertising campaign to educate the deaf and the hearing public about 7-1-1, telecommunication equipment distribution, and services provided through the telecommunication relay service.

Funds collected and carried over from the previous year are used to fund the complete program.

The FCC encourages states to promote the implementation of additional technologies to allow the deaf and hard of hearing to enjoy functional equivalency which complements the services already provided by Relay Utah. With the implementation of cell phone distribution,technology, and video relay services, there is a shift nationally in the way deaf populations communicate. The major activity of this budget is determined by the demand for services and equipment utilizing new technology. An increase in demand and usage creates additional costs throughout Utah.

Funding Detail

Sources of Finance	2008 Actual	2009 Actual	2010 Actual	2011 Actual	2012 Approp
Dedicated Credits Revenue	$1,364,500	$1,261,100	$1,146,800	$1,098,400	$1,037,600
Beginning Nonlapsing	$3,190,900	$2,461,800	$1,635,200	$1,114,100	$542,200
Closing Nonlapsing	($2,461,900)	($1,635,100)	($1,114,100)	($1,061,800)	($453,800)
Total	$2,093,500	$2,087,800	$1,667,900	$1,150,700	$1,126,000

Programs:	2008 Actual	2009 Actual	2010 Actual	2011 Actual	2012 Approp
Speech and Hearing Impaired	$2,093,500	$2,087,800	$1,667,900	$1,150,700	$1,126,000
Total	$2,093,500	$2,087,800	$1,667,900	$1,150,700	$1,126,000

Categories of Expenditure	2008 Actual	2009 Actual	2010 Actual	2011 Actual	2012 Approp
Personnel Services	$0	$0	$0	$2,100	$0
In-state Travel	$17,600	$19,600	$23,600	$21,600	$24,300
Out-of-state Travel	$1,700	$5,900	$2,800	$2,000	$3,100
Current Expense	$2,074,200	$2,062,300	$1,641,500	$1,123,700	$1,098,600
DP Current Expense	$0	$0	$0	$1,300	$0
Total	$2,093,500	$2,087,800	$1,667,900	$1,150,700	$1,126,000

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