Sec.  68.4   Hearing aid-compatible telephones.

   (a)(1) Except for telephones used with public mobile services, telephones
   used with private radio services, and cordless and secure telephones, every
   telephone manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or
   imported for use in the United States after August 16, 1989, must be hearing
   aid compatible, as defined in  Sec. 68.316. Every cordless telephone manufactured
   in the United States (other than for export) or imported into the United
   States after August 16, 1991, must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in
    Sec. 68.316.

   (2) Unless otherwise stated and except for telephones used with public
   mobile services, telephones used with private radio services and secure
   telephones,  every  telephone  listed  in   Sec. 68.112 must be hearing aid
   compatible, as defined in  Sec. 68.316.

   (3) A telephone is hearing aid-compatible if it provides internal means for
   effective use with hearing aids that are designed to be compatible with
   telephones  which meet established technical standards for hearing aid
   compatibility.

   (4)  The  Commission shall revoke or otherwise limit the exemptions of
   paragraph (a)((1) of this section for telephones used with public mobile
   services or telephones used with private radio services if it determines
   that (i) such revocation or limitation is in the public interest; (ii)
   continuation of the exemption without such revocation or limitation would
   have an adverse effect on hearing-impaired individuals; (iii) compliance
   with the requirements of  Sec. 68.4(a)(1) is technologically feasible for the
   telephones to which the exemption applies; and (iv) compliance with the
   requirements of  Sec. 68.4(a)(1) would not increase costs to such an extent that
   the telephones to which the exemption applies could not be successfully
   marketed.

   [ 54 FR 21430 , May 18, 1989, as amended at  55 FR 28763 , July 13, 1990;  57 FR 27183 , June 18, 1992;  61 FR 42186 , Aug. 14, 1996]