RCW 70.54.180 — Deaf persons access to emergency services—Telecommunication devices.
- (1) For the purpose of this section "telecommunication device" means an instrument for telecommunication in which speaking or hearing is not required for communicators.
- (2) The county legislative authority of each county with a population of eighteen thousand or more and the governing body of each city with a population in excess of ten thousand shall provide by July 1, 1980, for a telecommunication device in their jurisdiction or through a central dispatch office that will assure access to police, fire, or other emergency services.
- (3) The county legislative authority of each county with a population of eighteen thousand or less shall by July 1, 1980, make a determination of whether sufficient need exists with their respective counties to require installation of a telecommunication device. Reconsideration of such determination will be made at any future date when a deaf individual indicates a need for such an instrument.
[ 1991 c 363 s 142; 1979 ex.s. c 63 s 2.]
Notes:
Purpose—Captions not law—1991 c 363: See notes following RCW 2.32.180.
Purpose—1979 ex.s. c 63: "The legislature finds that many citizens of this state who are unable to utilize telephone services in a regular manner due to hearing defects are able to communicate by teletypewriters where hearing is not required for communication. Hence, it is the purpose of section 2 of this act [RCW 70.54.180] to require that telecommunication devices for the deaf be installed." [ 1979 ex.s. c 63 s 1.]