Minnesota Session Laws - 1987, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1987 

                         CHAPTER 22-S.F.No. 529 
           An act relating to human services; regulating work 
          activities of handicapped persons in state facilities; 
          amending Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 246.56, 
          subdivision 2. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 246.56, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read:  
    Subd. 2.  [POWERS OF COMMISSIONER.] The work activity 
programs authorized herein shall be planned and designed 
exclusively to provide therapeutic activities for handicapped 
workers whose physical or mental impairment is so severe as to 
make productive capacity inconsequential.  Notwithstanding 
section 177.24, the activities within this program shall conform 
to the rules and regulations relating to work activity centers 
promulgated by the United States Department of Labor.  To 
accomplish the foregoing purpose the commissioner of human 
services shall have the power and authority to: 
    (a) use the diversified labor fund established by Laws 
1945, chapter 575, section 19, to purchase equipment and remodel 
facilities of the state hospitals referred to in subdivision 1 
to initiate the work activity program, 
    (b) formulate a system of records and accounts which shall 
at all times indicate the extent of purchases, sales, wages, and 
bidding practices and which shall be open to public inspection.  
    The commissioner of human services shall, subject to the 
approval of the commissioner of education, have the power and 
authority to: 
    (a) create a work activity center revolving fund for the 
purpose of receiving and expending moneys in the operation of 
the said programs, 
    (b) contract with public and private industries for the 
manufacture, repair, or assembling of work according to standard 
bidding practices, 
     (c) use the revenue from the operation of said programs to 
pay wages to patients or residents according to their 
productivity, purchase equipment and supplies and pay other 
expenses necessary to the operation of the said programs, 
     (d) establish an advisory committee consisting of 
representatives from the departments of health, jobs and 
training, and human services, labor and business groups, 
interested community agencies, including but not limited to the 
Minnesota association of rehabilitation facilities, the 
Minnesota association for retarded children, and the Minnesota 
association for mental health, and the general public.  This 
committee will act in an advisory capacity with respect to the 
scope of work activity programs, the nature of the goods to be 
produced and services to be performed in such programs, 
     (e) utilize all available vocational rehabilitation 
services and encourage the integration of the work activity 
program into existing vocational rehabilitation and community 
based programs, so that the work activity program will neither 
duplicate nor unfairly compete with existing public or private 
community programs. 
    Approved April 7, 1987