Dual Party Relay Fund Petition Placed on Supplemental Agenda

The PSC has placed on the Supplemental Agenda for its meeting on April 10, 2013 at 2pm a petition and request for expedited review filed by the Office of Regulatory Staff to address a deficit in the Dual Party Relay Fund (DPRF). see PSC Docket 2013-124-C.

According to the petition, the DPRF pays for Real-Time Closed Captioning,Instructional Closed Captioning, SC Equipment Distribution Program ("EDP")Administration, SC General Assembly Closed Captioning, SC EDP Equipment, and Relay Service.  The petition states that the fund's balance has declined to due the decline in residential access lines and a corresponding decline in the revenue derived from the line surcharge which funds the DPRF.

The ORS has requested guidance from the PSC as to whether line access charges should be increased, funding to programs should be reduced, or program areas should be eliminated.