Title 71, Welfare

The council for the deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing is authorized to pursue and receive moneys from any source, including appropriate federal funds, gifts, grants, and bequests, which shall be expended for the purposes designated in this part.

The governor is authorized to designate existing departments of state government, or divisions of state government, to provide statewide services to the deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing as specified in this part.

(1) To the extent that federal funds are not jeopardized and in accordance with responsibilities required to be performed by the interagency coordinating council created pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1482, the council shall advise and assist the lead agency appointed pursuant to [forme…

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Authorized complex rehabilitation technology supplier” means a seller of complex rehabilitation technology that supplies products and services for complex rehabilitation technology equipment;(2) “Complex rehabilitation technology”:(A) Has the same me…

(a) A policy, certificate, or agreement for health insurance coverage issued under the TennCare program must provide coverage and reimbursement for:(1) Medically necessary repairs provided by authorized complex rehabilitation technology equipment suppliers; and(2) At least one (1…

(a) A preventative maintenance visit may be performed at any location agreed upon by the enrollee and the authorized complex rehabilitation technology supplier and is not required to be performed at the enrollee's location. (b) (1) Preventative maintenance must be performed by a …

(a) The appropriation heretofore made by chapter 119 of the Public Acts of 1945 for the use and benefit of the department of human services shall be expended by the department for the purchase of raw materials and supplies to be used by blind persons in this state in home industr…

(a) The director of services for the blind shall be required to execute bond for the faithful accounting for and distribution of the funds coming into the director's hands under this part. The bond shall be in such sum as may be fixed by the commissioner of human services, with t…

(a) Any blind person desiring that materials and supplies for home industries be purchased for such person's benefit shall make application to the director of services for the blind stating the materials desired, the finished product that it is proposed to make and form, the prob…

The director of services for the blind may, at the director's discretion, decline to purchase material and supplies for any blind person under this part, whenever and if information available to such director indicates that there is a probability that the amount of such purchase …

(a) All finished products made from raw material and supplies purchased with the proceeds of advances under this part shall be detailed to the director of services for the blind at such times and places as the director may designate. (b) Upon receipt of such finished articles, th…

(a) The vocational rehabilitation service of the department of human services is authorized to establish and supervise a business enterprise program for the blind. (b) The purpose of this program shall be to promote the vocational rehabilitation of blind individuals and to assist…

(a) Notwithstanding another law, and except as provided in subsection (b), the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee may make purchases of materials, services, equipment, stock, and merchandise for use in a business enterprise program for the blind without…

Disbursements from and repayments to the revolving fund shall be made on the certification of the director of services for the blind.

Disbursements from the revolving fund shall be made in accordance with rules and regulations recommended by the director approved by the commissioner; provided, that the director shall not be accountable for losses incurred in the making and obtaining of repayment of such advance…

It is the intent of the general assembly to grant to blind individuals a priority in the establishment and operation of vending facilities on public property in this state. To that end, this part shall be liberally construed to give the blind individuals who are eligible for such…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Blind individual” means any person who meets the requirements for services through the business enterprise program for the blind under part 4 of this chapter and who has been trained and licensed by the departme…

(a) Whenever any new buildings or other facilities are to be constructed by the state or on any other public property or when any existing contracts expire or are changed in any way, the department shall be notified and it shall promptly make an investigation and survey of the pu…

(a) If, after conducting a survey, the department determines that there is not sufficient population to support an on-site manager but the public property management desires vending machine services, the department shall have the right to place vending machines on the property an…

(a) The priority established by this part applies to cafeterias, as defined by the department, as limited by this section. (b) If a new cafeteria is to be constructed on public property or any existing cafeteria contracts on public properties expire, or both, the department shall…

Nothing in this part shall supersede any cooperative agreements that are in effect between the department and public property management on July 1, 1994, regarding the current operation of vending facilities on public properties, nor shall anything in this part preclude the depar…

(a) Except as stated in subsection (b), if a dispute arises between the management of public property and the department concerning any matter contained in this part, then either party may file a complaint setting forth the dispute with the secretary of state. Within ten (10) day…

(a) The department has exclusive jurisdiction to provide an opportunity for an administrative review or evidentiary hearing to a blind individual under this part who is dissatisfied with any action arising from the operation or administration of the vending facility program. (b) …

(a) After considering the recommendation from the committee of blind vendors, the department shall set aside or cause to be set aside a percentage of the net proceeds of the vending facilities in a reasonable amount not to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of their net income and purs…

(a) The department shall establish and implement by rule a process by which management of a public property may submit formal complaints regarding the conduct or performance of a blind individual who has been licensed by the department to operate a vending facility on such public…

(a) As used in this section, “eligible individual with a disability” means a person with a disability who is a resident of this state, whose vocational rehabilitation is determined feasible by the department of human services division of rehabilitation services, and who has been …

This part may be cited as the “Vocational Rehabilitation of the Blind Law.”

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Blind individual” means any person whose visual acuity with maximum correction does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye, except that in those instances in which the visual acuity exceeds 20/200 but is accompanie…

(a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state to provide rehabilitation services, to the extent needed and feasible, to eligible blind individuals with employment barriers throughout the state to the end that they may engage in useful and remunerative occupations to th…

(a) (1) The division of vocational rehabilitation of the blind, called “the division” in this part, and the office of director of rehabilitation of the blind, the incumbent of which is called the “director,” in this part are hereby established in the department of human services.…

(a) All rehabilitation services, as defined in this part, may be provided under this part to eligible blind handicapped individuals, and in any event, such services shall include training, maintenance, placement, guidance and physical restoration services. (b) Within such limits …

Rehabilitation services provided under the state plan for the blind shall be available to any blind civil employee of the United States disabled while in the performance of the blind civil employee's duty, on the same terms and conditions as apply to other persons.

(a) The department is hereby authorized to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations with respect to methods of administration, use of medical and other records of individuals who have been provided vocational rehabilitation services for the blind, and the establishment and main…

(1) Pursuant to the general policies of the department, the director and the division are authorized to:(1) Cooperate with and utilize the services of the state agency or agencies administering the state's public assistance program, the federal bureau of old-age and survivors ins…

The right of a blind individual to maintenance under this part shall not be transferable or assignable at law or in equity, and shall be exempt from the claims of creditors.

Any blind individual applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation who is aggrieved by any action of the vocational rehabilitation service for the blind shall be entitled in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner to a fair hearing, and the decision so m…

(a) It is unlawful, except for purposes directly connected with the administration of the vocational rehabilitation program, and in accordance with regulations, for any person or persons to solicit, disclose, receive, or make use of, or authorize, knowingly permit, participate in…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, to the extent permitted by federal law, the value of federal veterans education benefits received by an applicant shall not be included as any form of income when making eligibility determinations for assistance under this part…

(a) The purpose of this part is to further the policy of the state to encourage and assist individuals with severe disabilities to achieve maximum personal independence through useful, productive, and gainful employment by assuring expanded competitive integrated employment oppor…

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Central nonprofit agency” means the agency designated by the committee to facilitate, by subcontract or other means, the fulfillment of orders from governmental entities for commodities and services and to assist the committee in administering the pr…

(a) (1) There is created the committee for providing competitive integrated employment for individuals with severe disabilities, and composed of the following:(A) The commissioner of general services or the commissioner's designee;(B) The commissioner of finance and administratio…

(a) The functions and operations of the designated central nonprofit agency include, but are not limited to, the following:(1) Ensure that the priorities for orders from governmental entities are maintained under this part and that opportunities are provided to individuals with s…

(a) In furtherance of the purposes of this part and in order to contribute to the economy of state government, it is the intent of the general assembly that there be close cooperation between the committee and any state governmental entity from which procurement of commodities or…

This part is known and may be cited as “The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act.”

The purpose of this part is to authorize the establishment of a qualified ABLE program as an agency or instrumentality of the state to assist an eligible individual in saving money to meet the eligible individual's qualified disability expenses. The intent of the program is to en…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Account” means an account established by; owned by; and for the benefit of an eligible individual, who is also the designated beneficiary on the account, and maintained under a qualified ABLE program for payment…