281—56.36 (259) State rehabilitation council.
	 56.36(1) Composition. The state rehabilitation council shall be composed of no less than 15 members, appointed by the governor. A majority of the council members must be individuals with disabilities who are not employed by the division. The council members shall include the following:
	  a.   	 At least one representative of the statewide independent living council, one of whom must be the chairperson or chairperson’s designee of that council;
	  b.   	 At least one representative of a parent training and information center established pursuant to Section 682(a) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
	  c.   	 At least one representative of the client assistance program, one of whom must be the director or the director’s designee of that program;
	  d.   	 At least one qualified vocational rehabilitation counselor with knowledge of and experience with vocational rehabilitation programs who serves as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the council if employed by the division;
	  e.   	 At least one representative of community rehabilitation program service providers;
	  f.   	 Four representatives of business, industry, and labor;
	  g.   	 Representatives of disability groups that include a cross section of:
	 (1) 	 Individuals with physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental disabilities; and
	 (2) 	 Representatives of individuals with disabilities who have difficulty representing themselves or are unable, due to their disabilities, to represent themselves;
	  h.   	 Current or former applicants for, or recipients of, vocational rehabilitation services;
	  i.   	 At least one representative of the department’s bureau of children, family, and community services;
	  j.   	 At least one representative of the Iowa workforce development board; and
	  k.   	 The director of the division, who serves as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the council.
	 56.36(2) Chairperson. The chairperson must be selected by the members of the council from among the voting members of the council.
	 56.36(3) Terms. Each member of the council shall be appointed for a term of no more than three years. Each member of the council, other than the representative of the client assistance program, shall serve for no more than two consecutive full terms. The terms of service of the members initially appointed must be for a varied number of years to ensure that terms expire on a staggered basis.
	 56.36(4) Vacancies. The governor shall fill a vacancy in council membership, unless the governor has delegated authority to fill that vacancy to the remaining members of the council.
	 56.36(5) Functions. The council shall perform the following functions:
	  a.   	 Review and advise the division regarding the performance of the division’s responsibilities under this chapter and the Act;
	  b.   	 In partnership with the division, develop, agree to, and review state goals and priorities;
	  c.   	 In partnership with the division, evaluate the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program and submit reports of progress to the federal Secretary of Education when required;
	  d.   	 Assist in the preparation of the state plan and amendments thereto, applications, reports, needs assessments, and evaluations required by the Act;
	  e.   	 To the extent feasible, conduct a review and analysis of the effectiveness of and consumer satisfaction with:
	 (1) 	 The functions performed by the division;
	 (2) 	 The vocational rehabilitation services provided by state agencies and other public and private entities responsible for providing vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities under the Act; and
	 (3) 	 The employment outcomes achieved by eligible individuals receiving services from the division, including the availability of health and other employment benefits in connection with those employment outcomes;
	  f.   	 Prepare and submit to the governor and to the Secretary of Education an annual report on the status of vocational rehabilitation programs operated within the state and make the report available to the public through appropriate modes of communication;
	  g.   	 Coordinate activities with the activities of other councils within the state, including the statewide independent living council, the advisory panel established under Section 612(a)(21) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the state developmental disabilities planning council, the state mental health planning and advisory council, and the state workforce development board;
	  h.   	 Provide for the coordination and establishment of working relationships between the division and the statewide independent living council and centers for independent living within the state;
	  i.   	 Prepare a plan for the provision of resources, including staff and other personnel, that may be necessary and sufficient for the council to carry out its functions under this rule; and
	  j.   	 Perform other comparable functions, consistent with the purpose of the Act, as the council determines to be appropriate, that are comparable to the other functions performed by the council.
	 56.36(6) Meetings. The council shall convene at least quarterly in locations open and accessible to the general public, including individuals with disabilities. The council’s meetings are subject to Iowa Code chapter 21, the open meetings law.
Rule 281—56.36(259) is intended to implement 34 CFR 361.16 and 361.17.