The commission shall:
1. Prepare and maintain a complete register of the blind of the state which shall describe the condition, cause of blindness, ability to receive education and industrial training, and other facts the commission deems of value.
2. Assist in marketing of products of blind workers of the state.
3. Ameliorate the condition of the blind by promoting visits to them in their homes for the purpose of instruction and by other lawful methods as the commission deems expedient.
4. Make inquiries concerning the causes of blindness to ascertain what portion of cases are preventable, and cooperate with the other organized agents of the state in the adoption and enforcement of proper preventive measures.
5. Provide for suitable vocational training if the commission deems it advisable and necessary. The commission may establish workshops for the employment of the blind, paying suitable wages for work under the employment. The commission may provide or pay for, during their training period, the temporary lodging and support of persons receiving vocational training. The commission may use receipts or earnings that accrue from the operation of workshops as provided in this chapter, but a detailed statement of receipts or earnings and expenditures shall be made monthly to the director of the department of management.
6. Establish, manage, and control a special training, orientation, and adjustment center or centers for the blind. Training in the centers shall be limited to persons who are sixteen years of age or older, and the department shall not provide or cause to be provided any academic education or training to children under the age of sixteen except that the commission may provide library services to these children. The commission may provide for the maintenance, upkeep, repair, and alteration of the buildings and grounds designated as centers for the blind including the expenditure of funds appropriated for that purpose. Nonresidents may be admitted to Iowa centers for the blind as space is available, upon terms determined by rule.
7. Establish and maintain offices for the department and commission.
8. Accept gifts, grants, devises, or bequests of real or personal property from any source for the use and purposes of the department. Notwithstanding sections 8.33 and 12C.7, the interest accrued from moneys received under this section shall not revert to the general fund of the state.
9. Provide library services to blind and physically handicapped persons.
10. Act as a bureau of information and industrial aid for the blind, such as assisting the blind in finding employment.
11. Be responsible for the budgetary and personnel decisions for the department and commission.
12. Manage and control the property, both real and personal, belonging to the department. The commission shall, according to the schedule established in this subsection, when the price is reasonably competitive and the quality as intended, purchase soybean-based inks and starch-based plastics, including but not limited to starch-based garbage can liners.
a. By July 1, 1989, a minimum of fifty percent of the purchases of inks which are used for newsprint paper for printing services performed internally or contracted for by the commission shall be soybean-based. The percentage of purchases by the commission of soybean-based inks used for newsprint printing services shall increase by July 1, 1991, to one hundred percent of the total purchases of inks used for newsprint printing services.
b. By July 1, 1989, a minimum of fifteen percent of the purchases of garbage can liners made by the commission shall be starch-based plastic garbage can liners. The percentage purchased shall increase by five percent annually until fifty percent of the purchases of garbage can liners are purchases of starch-based plastic garbage can liners.
c. By July 1, 1991, a minimum of twenty-five percent of the purchases of inks, other than inks which are used for newsprint printing services, and which are used internally or contracted for by the commission, shall be soybean-based to the extent formulations for such inks are available. The percentage of purchases by the commission of the soybean-based inks, to the extent formulations for such inks are available, shall increase by July 1, 1992, to fifty percent of the total purchases of the inks, and shall increase by July 1, 1993, to one hundred percent of the total purchases of the inks.
d. The commission shall report to the general assembly on February 1 of each year, the following:
(1) Plastic products which are regularly purchased by the commission for which starch-based product alternatives are available. The report shall also include the cost of the plastic products purchased and the cost of the starch-based product alternatives.
(2) Information relating to soybean-based inks and starch- based garbage can liners regularly purchased by the commission. The report shall include the cost of purchasing soybean-based inks and starch-based garbage can liners, the percentage of inks purchased which are soybean-based and the percentage of liners purchased which are starch-based.
e. The department of natural resources shall review the procurement specifications currently used by the commission to eliminate, wherever possible, discrimination against the procurement of products manufactured with starch- based plastics and soybean-based inks.
f. The department of natural resources shall assist the commission in locating suppliers of starch- based plastics and soybean-based inks, and collecting data on recycled content, starch-based plastic, and soybean-based ink purchases.
g. The commission, in conjunction with the department of natural resources, shall adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this section.
h. The department of natural resources shall cooperate with the commission in all phases of implementing this section.
13. The commission shall, whenever technically feasible, purchase and use degradable loose foam packing material manufactured from grain starches or other renewable resources, unless the cost of the packing material is more than ten percent greater than the cost of packing material made from nonrenewable resources. For the purposes of this subsection, "packing material" means material, other than an exterior packing shell, that is used to stabilize, protect, cushion, or brace the contents of a package.
14. In conjunction with the recommendations made by the department of natural resources, purchase and use recycled printing and writing paper in accordance with the schedule established in section 18.18; establish a wastepaper recycling program, by January 1, 1990, in accordance with the recommendations made by the department of natural resources and requirements of section 18.20; comply with the recycling goal, recycling schedule, and ultimate termination of purchase and use of polystyrene products for the purpose of storing, packaging, or serving food for immediate consumption pursuant to section 455D.16; and, in accordance with section 18.6, require product content statements, the provision of information regarding on-site review of waste management in product bidding and contract procedures, and compliance with requirements regarding contract bidding.
15. Develop a plan to provide telephone yellow pages information without charge to persons declared to be blind under the standards in section 422.12, subsection 1, paragraph "e". The department may apply for federal funds to support the service. The program shall be limited in scope by the availability of funds.
16. a. A motor vehicle purchased by the commission shall not operate on gasoline other than gasoline blended with at least ten percent ethanol. A state issued credit card used to purchase gasoline shall not be valid to purchase gasoline other than gasoline blended with at least ten percent ethanol. The motor vehicle shall also be affixed with a brightly visible sticker which notifies the traveling public that the motor vehicle is being operated on gasoline blended with ethanol. However, the sticker is not required to be affixed to an unmarked vehicle used for purposes of providing law enforcement or security.
b. Of all new passenger vehicles and light pickup trucks purchased by the commission, a minimum of ten percent of all such vehicles and trucks purchased shall be equipped with engines which utilize alternative methods of propulsion, including but not limited to any of the following:
(1) A flexible fuel which is either of the following:
(a) A fuel blended with not more than fifteen percent gasoline and at least eighty-five percent ethanol.
(b) A fuel which is a mixture of diesel fuel and processed soybean oil. At least twenty percent of the mixed fuel by volume must be processed soybean oil.
(c) A renewable fuel approved by the office of renewable fuels and coproducts pursuant to section 159A.3.
(2) Compressed or liquefied natural gas.
(3) Propane gas.
(4) Solar energy.
(5) Electricity.
The provisions of this paragraph "b" do not apply to vehicles and trucks purchased and directly used for law enforcement or off-road maintenance work.
17. Comply with the requirements for the purchase of lubricating oils and industrial oils as established pursuant to section 18.22.
86 Acts, ch 1244, § 61 ~IC87, § 601K.123 ~I88 Acts, ch 1185, §4; 88 Acts, ch 1277, §31 ~IC89, § 601L.3 ~I89 Acts, ch 83, §79; 89 Acts, ch 272, §39; 90 Acts, ch 1237, § 5, 6; 91 Acts, ch 97, §59; 91 Acts, ch 194, §8; 91 Acts, ch 254, §23; 92 Acts, ch 1095, §4 ~IC93, § 216B.3 ~I93 Acts, ch 26, § 2; 93 Acts, ch 176, § 38; 94 Acts, ch 1119, §24
Referred to in § 18.3, 18.8, 18.12
Iowa General Assembly
Search: Iowa Code 1995
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