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]