SECTION 165:55-7-2.1. 211 Services

(a)   Scope and purpose. This Section applies to the assignment, provision, and termination of 211 service. Through this Section, the Commission intends to enhance the ability of the public to access services that provide free information and referral to community resources in situations that are not immediately life-endangering, but still represent a serious but less urgent threat to basic human needs and individual's health or welfare.

(b)   Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this Chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise:

(1)   "Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)" means a professional organization whose mission is to unite and serve the field and to advance the profession of information and referral as a vital means of bringing people and services together. AIRS has developed national quality standards and methods of evaluating information and referral services.

(2)   "211 Call Center" means a free 24-hour telephone information and referral service for a specified geographical area or region that connects people in need with health and human service agencies and programs that can provide assistance.

(3)   "Community resource" means a for-profit or nonprofit resource that provides health or human services in a designated geographic area.

(4)   "Information and referral service" means a free service whose primary purpose is to maintain information about human service resources in the community and to link people who need assistance with appropriate service providers and/or to supply descriptive information about the agencies or organizations which offer services.

(5)   "211 service" means a telecommunications service provided by a telecommunications service provider to a 211 Call Center through which the end-user of a public phone system has the ability to access information and referral services.

(c)   Requirements of a 211 Call Center. An entity desiring to be a 211 Call Center shall meet the following requirements:

(1)   Ensure 24-hour, seven day a week operations.

(2)   Ascribe to the AIRS standards for information and referral and have a plan in place to become accredited by AIRS.

(3)   Serve the area or region designated by the 211 Call Center in consultation with telecommunications service provider.

(4)   Agree to provide information and referral service consistent with the national standards set out by the AIRS and this Section.

(5)   Agree to use the 211 service exclusively for the distribution of information and referral, and not use the service for commercial advertisements.

(6)   Provide information and referral service to a caller without charging a fee on either a per-call or per-use basis.

(d)   Provision of 211 service to a 211 Call Center. Upon request, a telecommunications service provider shall provide 211 service within a specific geographic area or region to an entity which has self certified that it meets the requirements as set out in subsection (c) above; has been certified by the statewide 211 Advisory Committee as the 211 Call Center for that geographic area or region; and has provided maps or other identifying information to the Commission sufficient to identify the area it will serve. In the event that two or more entities request 211 service as the 211 Call Center for the same geographic area or region, the statewide 211 Advisory Committee shall resolve the dispute.

(e)   Fee. The telecommunications service provider shall charge the 211 Call Center tariffed rates for tariffed services.

[Source: Added at 20 Ok Reg 2301, eff 7-15-03]