Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act of 1988
Public Law 100-542 · H.R. 4992 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 28, 1988 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Steven Gunderson (R-WI-3)
Cosponsors (94): Rep. David Bonior, Rep. Dennis Eckart,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act of 1988 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to issue regulations, subject to congressional oversight, to assure access to Federal departments and agencies for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals, including Federal employees. Requires: (1) the employment of at least one additional operator in connection with the existing Federal relay system for users of Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs); (2) an evaluation, to be submitted to the Congress, of ways to increase the access of the targeted individuals to the Federal telecommunications system; (3) publication of a TDD directory of Government access numbers; and (4) adoption of a logo identifying TDD stations.
Directs the Administrator to seek to promote research into cost-reducing and improved telecommunications technologies.
Directs the Federal Communications Commission to complete its existing inquiry concerning an interstate relay system for TDD users.
Directs the Congress to establish, as soon as practicable, a policy under which Members may obtain TDDs for use by hearing-impaired or speech-impaired employees who might need them, as well as for use in communications with other individuals.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Oversight and Accountability Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee- Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Oct 28, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-542.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 21, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 14, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Oct 12, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Oct 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 27, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jul 26, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jul 12, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Office Systems Subcommittee of the House Committee on House Administration
- Jul 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Jul 7, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.