Section 3304.15 | Opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency; appointment of executive director; authority.
(A) There is hereby created the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency. The agency is the designated state unit authorized under the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," 87 Stat. 355, 29 U.S.C. 701, as amended, to provide vocational rehabilitation to eligible persons with disabilities.
(B) The governor shall appoint an executive director of the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency to serve at the pleasure of the governor and shall fix the executive director's compensation. The executive director shall devote the executive director's entire time to the duties of the executive director's office, shall hold no other office or position of trust and profit, and shall engage in no other business during the executive director's term of office. The governor may grant the executive director the authority to appoint, remove, and discipline without regard to sex, race, creed, color, age, or national origin, such other professional, administrative, and clerical staff members as are necessary to carry out the functions and duties of the agency.
The executive director of the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency is the executive and administrative officer of the agency. Whenever the Revised Code imposes a duty on or requires an action of the agency, the executive director shall perform the duty or action on behalf of the agency. The executive director may establish procedures for all of the following:
(1) The governance of the agency;
(2) The conduct of agency employees and officers;
(3) The performance of agency business;
(4) The custody, use, and preservation of agency records, papers, books, documents, and property.
(C) The executive director shall have exclusive authority to administer the daily operation and provision of vocational rehabilitation services under this chapter. In exercising that authority, the executive director may do all of the following:
(1) Adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code;
(2) Prepare and submit an annual report to the governor;
(3) Certify any disbursement of funds available to the agency for vocational rehabilitation activities;
(4) Take appropriate action to guarantee rights of services to people with disabilities;
(5) Consult with and advise other state agencies and coordinate programs for persons with disabilities;
(6) Comply with the requirements for match as part of budget submission;
(7) Establish research and demonstration projects;
(8) Accept, hold, invest, reinvest, or otherwise use gifts to further vocational rehabilitation;
(9) For the purposes of the business enterprise program administered under sections 3304.28 to 3304.35 of the Revised Code:
(a) Establish and manage small business entities owned or operated by visually impaired persons;
(b) Purchase insurance;
(c) Accept computers.
(10) Enter into contracts and other agreements for the provision of services.
(D) The executive director shall establish a fee schedule for vocational rehabilitation services in accordance with 34 C.F.R. 361.50.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 29, 2013 – House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 29, 2013 Version ]
- September 29, 2017 – Amended by House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly [ View September 29, 2017 Version ]
- August 18, 2019 – Amended by Senate Bill 221 - 132nd General Assembly [ View August 18, 2019 Version ]