JEFFERSON CITY–The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a recommendation made by the Public Service Commission Staff (PSC Staff) to adjust the current surcharge that appears on the monthly telephone bills of Missourians to fund Relay Missouri.
The surcharge is used to fund a statewide dual-party telephone relay service for qualifying Missourians who are unable to use traditional telecommunications equipment. Relay Missouri is funded through a monthly, per telephone line surcharge.
Missouri statutes (Section 209.259, RSMo 2016) require the Commission to review the surcharge no less frequently than every two years. It also requires the Commission to order changes in the amount of the surcharge as necessary to assure available funds for the programs supported by that fund.
The Relay Missouri fund provides financial support for the Relay Missouri service, the Captioned Telephone service (CapTel) and the equipment distribution program. The PSC Staff conducted the required review, examining the level of the surcharge, the fund balance, the retention amount and the expenditures for Relay Missouri. Based upon that review, the PSC Staff recommended the Commission increase the surcharge from $0.04 to $0.10 to increase the fund balance to a desired target. The PSC Staff predicted that unless the surcharge is increased, the fund balance will drop below the target range in September 2022.
The Commission has approved the PSC Staff recommendation. “Adopting Staff’s recommendation to increase the surcharge from $0.04 to $0.10 will allow the fund to remain solvent and available for those customers who need it,” said the Commission. “The increase in the surcharge will become effective on June 1, 2022, to allow telecommunications companies sufficient time to implement the change.”