Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-56.29 - State rehabilitation council
(1)
Composition. The state
rehabilitation council shall be composed of at least 15 members, appointed by
the governor. A majority of the council members must be individuals with
disabilities who are not employed by the division. The appointing authority
must select members of the council after soliciting recommendations from
representatives of organizations representing a broad range of individuals with
disabilities and organizations interested in individuals with disabilities. In
selecting members, the appointing authority must consider, to the greatest
extent practicable, the extent to which minority populations are represented on
the council. A majority of members must be individuals with disabilities who
meet the requirements of
34 CFR Section
361.5(c)(28) and are not
employed by the designated state unit. The council members shall include the
following:
a. At least one representative of
the statewide independent living council, who must be the chairperson or other
designee of the statewide independent living council;
b. At least one representative of a parent
training and information center established pursuant to Section 682(a) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
c. At least one representative of the client
assistance program established under 34 CFR Part 370, who must be the director
or other individual recommended by the client assistance program;
d. At least one qualified vocational
rehabilitation counselor with knowledge of and experience with vocational
rehabilitation programs who serves as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the
council if employed by the division;
e. At least one representative of community
rehabilitation program service providers;
f. Four representatives of business,
industry, and labor;
g.
Representatives of disability groups that include a cross section of:
(1) Individuals with physical, cognitive,
sensory, and mental disabilities; and
(2) Representatives of individuals with
disabilities who have difficulty representing themselves or are unable, due to
their disabilities, to represent themselves;
h. Current or former applicants for, or
recipients of, vocational rehabilitation services;
i. At least one representative of the state
educational agency responsible for the public education of students with
disabilities who are eligible to receive services under the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, as amended, and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act;
j. At least one representative
of the Iowa workforce development board; and
k. The director of the division, who serves
as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the council.
(2)
Chairperson. The
chairperson must be selected by the members of the council from among the
voting members of the council.
(3)
Terms. Each member of the council shall be appointed for a
term of no more than three years. Each member of the council, other than the
representative of the client assistance program, shall serve for no more than
two consecutive full terms. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
prior to the end of the term for which the predecessor was appointed must be
appointed for the remainder of the predecessor's term and may serve one
additional three-year term. The terms of service of the members initially
appointed must be for a varied number of years to ensure that terms expire on a
staggered basis.
(4)
Vacancies. The governor shall fill a vacancy in council
membership.
(5)
Functions. The council must, after consulting with the state
workforce development board:
a. Review,
analyze, and advise the designated state unit regarding the designated state
unit's responsibilities, particularly responsibilities related to:
(1) Eligibility, including order of
selection;
(2) The extent, scope,
and effectiveness of services provided; and
(3) Functions performed by state agencies
that affect or potentially affect the ability of individuals with disabilities
in achieving employment outcomes;
b. In partnership with the designated state
unit:
(1) Develop, agree to, and review state
goals and priorities in accordance with
34
CFR Section 361.29(c);
and
(2) Evaluate the effectiveness
of the vocational rehabilitation program and submit reports of progress to the
Secretary of Education in accordance with
34
CFR Section
361.29(e);
c. Advise the designated state
agency and the designated state unit regarding activities carried out under
this part and assist in the preparation of the vocational rehabilitation
services portion of the unified or combined state plan and amendments to the
plan, applications, reports, needs assessments, and evaluations;
d. To the extent feasible, conduct a review
and analysis of the effectiveness of, and consumer satisfaction with:
(1) The functions performed by the designated
state agency;
(2) The vocational
rehabilitation services provided by state agencies and other public and private
entities responsible for providing vocational rehabilitation services to
individuals with disabilities under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended;
and
(3) The employment outcomes
achieved by eligible individuals receiving services under 34 CFR Part 361,
including the availability of health and other employment benefits in
connection with those employment outcomes;
e. Prepare and submit to the governor and to
the Secretary of Education no later than 90 days after the end of the federal
fiscal year an annual report on the status of vocational rehabilitation
programs operated within the state and make the report available to the public
through appropriate modes of communication;
f. To avoid duplication of efforts and
enhance the number of individuals served, coordinate activities with the
activities of other councils within the state, including the statewide
independent living council, the advisory panel established under Section
612(a)(21) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the state
developmental disabilities planning council, the state mental health planning
council, and the state workforce development board, and with the activities of
entities carrying out programs under the Assistive Technology Act of
1998;
g. Provide for coordination
and the establishment of working relationships between the designated state
agency and the statewide independent living council and centers for independent
living within the state; and
h.
Perform other comparable functions, consistent with the purpose of 34 CFR Part
361, as the council determines to be appropriate, that are comparable to the
other functions performed by the council.
(6)
Meetings. The council
must convene at least four meetings a year. The meetings must be publicly
announced, open, and accessible to the general public, including individuals
with disabilities, unless there is a valid reason for an executive session. The
council's meetings are subject to Iowa Code chapter 21, the open meetings
law.
(7)
Forums or
hearings. The council shall conduct forums or hearings, as
appropriate, that are publicly announced, open, and accessible to the public,
including individuals with disabilities.
(8)
Conflict of interest. No
member of the council may cast a vote on any matter that would provide direct
financial benefit to the member or the member's organization or otherwise give
the appearance of a conflict of interest under state law.
Rule 281-56.29 (259) is intended to implement 34 CFR Sections 361.16 and 361.17.
Notes
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