The Washington telephone assistance program shall be available to participants of programs set forth in RCW 80.36.470. Assistance shall consist of the following components:

     (1) A discount on service connection fees of fifty percent or more as set forth in RCW 80.36.460.

     (2) A waiver of deposit requirements on local exchange service, as set forth in RCW 80.36.460.

     (3) A discounted flat rate service for local exchange service, which shall be subject to the following conditions:

     (a) The commission shall establish a single telephone assistance rate for all local exchange companies operating in the state of Washington. The telephone assistance rate shall include any federal end user charges and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service.

     (b) The commission shall, in establishing the telephone assistance rate, consider all charges for local exchange service, including federal end user charges, mileage charges, extended area service, and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service.

     (c) The telephone assistance rate shall only be available to eligible customers subscribing to the lowest priced local exchange flat rate service, where the lowest priced local exchange flat rate service, including any federal end user charges and any other charges necessary to obtain local exchange service, is greater than the telephone assistance rate.

     (d) The cost of providing the service shall be paid, to the maximum extent possible, by a waiver of all or part of federal end user charges and, to the extent necessary, from the telephone assistance fund created by RCW 80.36.430.

     (4) A discount on a community service voice mailbox that provides recipients with (a) an individually assigned telephone number; (b) the ability to record a personal greeting; and (c) a secure private security code to retrieve messages.

[2003 c 134 § 3; 1990 c 170 § 2; 1987 c 229 § 4.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2003 c 134: See note following RCW 80.36.005.