Whereas, Telephone service is considered a necessity for daily modern life, yet the cost of activating and maintaining such service may be prohibitively expensive for low-income customers; and,

Whereas, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has established the Lifeline Assistance Program to provide certain discounts on monthly service for qualified telephone subscribers; and,

Whereas, The FCC and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has launched “Lifeline Across America,” a nationwide program to draw more low-income customers into federal and state Lifeline programs; and,

Whereas, Under the Michigan Telecommunications Act (MTA), the discount for eligible low-income customers under age 65 is 20 percent of the basic local service exchange rate offered by the their local telephone provider, or $8.25 per month, whichever is greater; and,

Whereas, Under the MTA,  the discount for eligible low-income customers age 65 years of age or older, is 25 percent of the basic local exchange service rate offered by their local telephone provider, or $12.35 per month, whichever is greater; and,  

Whereas, Under the MTA, eligibility for the lifeline discount has been expanded in include persons whose annual income does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty income standards or persons who participate in on of the following federal assistance programs:  Medicaid, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), federal public housing assistance (Section 8), the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the national school lunch program’s free lunch program, and the Temporary Assistance for Need Families; and,

Whereas, Under the MTA, the Michigan Public Service Commission has been directed to notify the general public of the availability of Lifeline services; and,

Whereas, Fewer than 150,000 Michigan telephone customers are currently enrolled in the Lifeline program; and,

Whereas, March 10, 2006, is the 130^th anniversary of the first successful experiment with the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of March 5, 2006 as Lifeline Week in Michigan.