GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	1 

SENATE BILL 255

Short Title:  State Agency Telephone Menus.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senators Albertson, Martin of Pitt; Allran, Ballance, Carpenter, Carrington, Carter, Cochrane, Cooper, Dalton, Dannelly, East, Forrester, Foxx, Garrou, Garwood, Gulley, Hagan, Harris, Hartsell, Horton, Hoyle, Jordan, Kerr, Kinnaird, Lee, Lucas, Martin of Guilford, Metcalf, Miller, Perdue, Plyler, Purcell, Rand, Rucho, Shaw of Guilford, Warren, Webster, Weinstein, and Wellons.

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Referred to:  Judiciary I.

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March 8, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CLARIFY THE STATE LAW REQUIRING STATE AGENCIES TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MENUS ON AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEMS AND TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCIES TO REPORT ON THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THAT LAW.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Section 2 of S.L. 1997-351 reads as rewritten:
"Section 2.  State agency telephone systems routing calls to multiple extensions shall be reprogrammed by September 1, 1997, to minimize the number of menus that a caller must go through to reach the desired extension, and to allow the caller to reach an attendant or operator from the first menu when calling during normal business hours.  As used in this section, the term "menu"refers to the first point in the call at which the caller is asked to choose from two or more options, regardless of whether that choice is referred to as a menu, router, or other term within the telephone industry itself.
This act shall be implemented by State agencies with existing personnel at no additional cost to the State."
Section 2. Each State agency shall report in writing to the General Assembly by April 1, 1999, on that agency's compliance with the provisions of S.L. 1997-351, as amended by Section 1 of this act.  Each report shall be submitted to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, and the Chairs of the Senate and House appropriations subcommittees by which that agency's budget request is considered.  The report shall state whether that agency's telephone system is in compliance with the provisions of S.L. 1997-351 and, if not, shall state any reasons for that noncompliance.  The reports shall also provide information on the volume of calls received by that agency and the number of attendants or operators available to take those calls.
Section 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.