The Florida Senate

¹413.206  Five-year plan.--The division shall, by October 1, 2002, after identifying specific weaknesses in service capacity and program performance and after consulting with stakeholders, develop a 5-year plan that prioritizes any additional initiatives for the provision of vocational rehabilitation services, including privatization, according to identified needs, and details the steps needed to effectively implement those initiatives, consistent with federal requirements. The plan shall provide that the division, to the extent that it is cost-efficient and cost-effective and increases employment outcomes for persons who have disabilities, enter into local agreements or contracts with community-based rehabilitation providers to be the service providers for the vocational rehabilitation program, except for those services and activities that are federally required. The plan must ensure the full involvement of persons who have disabilities in the comprehensive workforce development system. The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(1)  The plan shall:

(a)  Promote innovative contracts that upgrade or enhance direct services to persons who have a disability. Contracts shall be evaluated with respect to need and cost and shall be performance-based.

(b)  Include recommendations regarding specific performance standards and measurable outcomes and shall outline procedures for monitoring the implementation of the plan. The division shall annually report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives the progress that has been made toward achieving the objectives set forth in the plan.

(2)  The division shall work with the employer community to assist that community to better define, address, and meet its business needs by employing qualified persons who have a disability.

History.--s. 10, ch. 2002-22.

¹Note.--Section 34, ch. 2002-22, provides that "[b]efore the 2005 Regular Session of the Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct a review of and prepare a report on the progress of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education."