Title 49, Education

(a) It is declared to be the intent of the general assembly to establish a statewide system of state colleges of applied technology to meet more adequately the occupational and technical training needs of citizens and residents of this state, including employees and future employ…

(a) (1) In order to carry out the intent expressed in § 49-11-401 and to provide a unified, overall program of vocational education and technical training, including the vocational education training program, title 8 of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 (P.L. 85-864, 72 …

The board of regents is authorized to appoint an advisory committee or committees, or a consultant or consultants, as the board may deem necessary, to advise the board in matters relating to the location, establishment and construction of state colleges of applied technology and …

(a) The board of regents is authorized to enter into any contract or contracts that the state board of regents may deem necessary for the operation of state colleges of applied technology in order to carry out the provisions and purposes of this part with any:(1) Local board or b…

(a) Any local board of education within the limitations of its official, adopted school budget may offer and pay to the board of regents the amount or amounts of unspent and uncommitted capital outlay funds or general purpose school funds that the local board of education may dee…

(a) The board of regents is authorized to:(1) Accept grants of funds from any county or municipality or from any public or private entity, to be used for the purposes authorized in this part; and(2) Accept, purchase or lease from any local school system, or from any public or pri…

The board of regents is authorized to accept any state college of applied technology already established and to utilize the center as one (1) of the state colleges of applied technology that the board may establish under this part.

(1) To the end that it is the intent of the general assembly, and it is expressly declared, that there shall be a unified, overall program of vocational-technical education and technical training in this state, including all vocational purposes, all state colleges of applied tech…

The board of regents is authorized and empowered to expend for the necessary administration of this part any funds that may be appropriated, received or allocated to carry out the purposes of this part.

This part shall prevail, notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in any other act of the general assembly.

(a) By the 2023-2024 school year, each state college of applied technology shall establish partnerships with each LEA that is located in the county in which the main campus of the state college of applied technology is located to provide early post-secondary opportunities for stu…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Vocational Rehabilitation Law of Tennessee.”

(1) As used in this part, unless the content otherwise requires:(1) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of human services;(2) “Department” means the department of human services;(3) “Director” means director of the vocational rehabilitation program;(4) “Division” means the divi…

(a) (1) The division of rehabilitation services and the office of director of the vocational rehabilitation program, the incumbent of which is called the director in this section, are established.(2) The director must be appointed, in accordance with established personnel standar…

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

(a) The department shall cooperate, pursuant to agreements with the federal government in carrying out the purposes of any federal statutes pertaining to vocational rehabilitation, and is authorized to adopt such methods of administration as are found by the federal government to…

(a) The department shall formulate a plan of cooperation in accordance with federal acts and this part with respect to the administration of the workers' compensation or liability laws. (b) The plan may provide for full or partial recovery of any expenditures made by the division…

(a) All rehabilitation services, as defined in this part, may be provided to eligible individuals with disabilities; and in any event, the services shall include training, maintenance, placement, guidance and physical restoration services. (b) (1) Within the limits and under the …

The department is empowered to receive gifts and donations from either public or private sources, as may be offered unconditionally or under conditions related to vocational rehabilitation of persons disabled in industry or otherwise that are proper and consistent with this part.…

The state treasurer is appointed custodian for the funds for vocational rehabilitation as provided by the laws of this state and shall receive and provide for the custody of the funds that may come from the federal government and from other sources for vocational rehabilitation, …

(1) Vocational rehabilitation services shall be provided to any individual with a disability in accordance with a policy or policies promulgated by the department:(1) Whose vocational rehabilitation the director determines, after full investigation, can be satisfactorily achieved…

The right of a disabled 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 individual applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation services who is aggrieved by any action of the division is entitled, in accordance with regulations, to a fair hearing, before a hearing officer.

(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, …

(a) The general assembly reserves the right to amend or repeal all or any part of this part at any time. There shall be no vested private right of any kind against such amendment or repeal. (b) All the rights, privileges or immunities conferred by this part or by acts done pursua…

(a) This part is intended to be supplemental to chapter 10, parts 1-7 of this title and parts 6 and 8 of this chapter and, insofar as those parts are not inconsistent with the purposes of this part, they shall govern the administration of the program of community-based vocational…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) [Deleted by 2024 amendment.](2) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of human services;(3) “Community-based vocational rehabilitation services” means vocational rehabilitation services provided by the vocational…

(a) The commissioner is authorized to establish a system of community-based vocational rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities based on the specific needs within the local community. (b) The system must include community-based vocational rehabilitation services esta…

The division of rehabilitation services is authorized, with the approval of the commissioner and in accordance with all federal vocational rehabilitation program requirements, to contract with any public or private entity to provide services to customers who receive community-bas…

In order to carry out the purposes and functions of the community-based vocational rehabilitation services program, the department is authorized, with the approval of the appropriate state officials, to establish the appropriate positions and employ the personnel necessary to adm…

(a) (1) The commissioner, through the division, is authorized to contract with the appropriate agencies of the federal government to secure the maximum benefits under current federal legislation concerning vocational rehabilitation, and to cooperate with the agencies in the adopt…

The division of rehabilitation services is authorized to establish and operate a statewide comprehensive rehabilitation and training center at Smyrna.

“Statewide comprehensive rehabilitation and training center” means a resident facility for people with disabilities where they may be provided rehabilitation services, including, but not limited to, physical and occupational therapy, vocational evaluation, personal and social eva…

(a) The general assembly shall appropriate each year funds that may be necessary for the operation of the statewide comprehensive rehabilitation and training center. (b) The center shall utilize federal funds when the funds are available to the extent possible. (c) The state shal…

(a) The statewide comprehensive rehabilitation and training center shall accept clients from anywhere in the state. (b) No person shall become a permanent resident of the center, since it is not an institution in the sense of providing custodial care, but rather is a place to pre…

(a) As a part of the statewide comprehensive rehabilitation and training center, there is authorized a vocational technical school operated by the division of college, career, and military readiness under the general direction of the administrator of the center. (b) Funding for t…

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Grant” means a qualified work-based learning grant issued pursuant to this part;(2) “Grant fund” means the qualified work-based learning grant fund established by § 49-11-903;(3) “Program operator” means a nonprofit entity that has entered into an ag…

(a) Each LEA implementing work-based learning shall maintain student accident insurance coverage. (b) The department of education, in coordination with the department of labor and workforce development, the bureau of workers' compensation, and the department of economic and commu…

(a) THEC shall establish and administer a qualified work-based learning grant program to incentivize employer participation in work-based learning and to assist employers with costs associated with work-based learning. (b) There is created a separate fund within the general fund …

(a) The grant amount allowed under this part shall be limited to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per employer in any calendar year. (b) The total amount of grants provided to employers under this part shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) for any calendar year.

To be eligible for a qualified work-based learning grant, an employer who accepts or employs a qualified work-based learning student must submit an application to the program operator on a form prescribed by the program operator, along with any supporting documentation required b…

THEC may promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this part in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.

The program operator may establish an application fee sufficient to offset the costs of administering this part, subject to approval by THEC.

As a condition of receiving funds from THEC pursuant to this part, the program operator must agree to submit to audits by the comptroller of the treasury.

In a work-based learning program, a maximum of six (6) credits may be earned in one (1) school year. At least one (1) credit must be earned through related classroom experience, which must include a minimum of two (2) periods per week of classroom instruction. A minimum of five (…

On February 8, 1948, the state of Tennessee and the states of Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and the commonwealth of Virginia, through and by their respective governors, entere…