Changes requested from previous version of the form

State Plan Pre-Print Organizational Structure Comparison Chart

The version of the State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and its Supplement for Supported Employment (SE) that expires on January 31, 2007, was in place prior to the 1998 reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (the Act). The pre-1998 version included assurances and attachments that were based on statutory requirements for state plan submission, as well as assurances and descriptions that were based solely on regulatory requirements for state plan submission.

The proposed version of the VR State Plan and SE supplement submitted to OMB includes only assurances and attachments based on statutory requirements for state plan submission. Although the deleted VR State Plan and SE supplement assurances and/or attachments are no longer required components of the VR State Plan and SE supplement, the underlying requirements of these deleted components are still considered essential to the proper and efficient administration of the VR program and are retained in the implementing regulations as VR program requirements.

Deletion of assurances and attachments is a result of efforts to reduce the paperwork burden associated with developing the State Plan. Program regulations promulgated in January 2001, reflecting statutory changes resulting from the 1998 reauthorization of the Act, reduced the number of attachments or assurances that must be submitted as part of the VR State Plan and SE supplement, retaining only those assurances or attachments required by the Act.

Other changes in the proposed VR State Plan and SE supplement include updating the remaining assurances, as appropriate, to conform to the 1998 state plan components in sections 101(a) and 625(a) and (b) of the Act and the implementing regulations for these sections.

The chart below compares the components of the current and proposed State Plan and summarizes the revisions.

Current State Plan Pre-print Expires January 31, 2007 Based on pre-1998 program requirements	Proposed State Plan Preprint Effective February 1, 2007 Based on 1998 legislation and 2001 regulations
Section 1: Legal Basis and State Certifications	Section 1: State Certifications
1.1 – 1.10	1.1 – 1.9 Item 1.10 (signature information) combined with item 1.9.
Section 2: Public Comment on State Plan Policies and Procedures	Section 2: Public Comment on State Plan Policies and Procedures
2.1 Public participation requirements	2.1 Public participation requirements
2.2 State review process	Assurance deleted. State review process still a program requirement.
Section 3: Submission of the State Plan and its Supplement	Section 3: Submission of the State Plan and its Supplement
3.1 Submittal of the state plan, and its supplement, and revision to the plan and its supplement	3.1 Submission and revisions of the state plan and its supplement
3.2 Supported employment plan	3.2 Supported employment state plan supplement
Section 4: Administration of the State Plan	Section 4: Administration of the State Plan
4.1 Designated state agency and designated state unit	4.1 Designated state agency and designated state unit
4.2 State independent commission or State Rehabilitation Council	4.2 State independent commission or State Rehabilitation Council
4.3 Consultations regarding the administration of the state plan	4.3 Consultations regarding the administration of the state plan
4.4 Non-federal share	4.4 Non-federal share
4.5 Local administration	4.5 Local administration Updated to include regulatory requirements in the assurance, eliminating the need for a state plan attachment.
4.6 Statewideness and waivers of statewideness	4.6 Shared funding and administration of joint programs Change in order - previously item 4.7. Updated to include regulatory requirements for submission of a plan for approval that replaces the state plan attachment.
4.7 Shared funding and administration of joint programs	4.7 Statewideness and waivers of statewideness Change in order - previously item 4.6. Renumbered the assurance and attachment. Updated previous requirements and added the requirements of 34 CFR 361.60(b)(3)(i) and (ii).
4.8 Third-party cooperative arrangements involving funds from other public agencies	Assurance related to third-party cooperative arrangements deleted. Not a required state plan component under section 101(a) of the Act. Still a VR program requirement.
4.9 Cooperation, collaboration, and coordination	4.8 Cooperation, collaboration, and coordination Renumbered assurance and related attachments. Updated appropriate requirements and added program requirements under sections 101(a)(24)(B) and 625(b)(4) and (5) of the Act.
4.10 Methods of administration	4.9 Methods of Administration Renumbered and updated.
4.11 Comprehensive system of personnel development	4.10 Comprehensive system of personnel development Renumbered assurance and related attachment. Updated.
4.12 Annual State goals and reports of progress	4.11 Statewide assessment; annual estimates; annual state goals and priorities; strategies; and progress reports Renumbered assurance and related attachments. Updated.
4.13 Innovation and Expansion	4.12 Innovation and Expansion Renumbered the assurance and related attachments.
4.14 State-imposed requirements	Assurance deleted. Not a required state plan component under section 101(a) of the Act. Still a VR program requirement.
4.15 Protection, use, and release of personal information	Assurance deleted. Not a required state plan component under section 101(a) of the Act. Still a VR program requirement.
4.16 Mediation and impartial due process hearing	Assurance deleted. Not a required state plan component under section 101(a) of the Act. Still a VR program requirement.
4.17 Reports	4.13 Reports Renumbered.

Sections 5 and 6 of the State Plan expiring on January 31, 2007, included many assurances that were deleted as a result of streamlining the State Plan to include only those State Plan components identified in sections 101(a) and 625(a) and (b) of the Act. The remaining assurances were reorganized into a new Section 5. Listed below is a chart showing the disposition of the items in Sections 5 and 6 of the State Plan expiring on January 31, 2007.

Current State Plan Pre-print Expires January 31, 2007
Section 5: Scope of the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program
5.1 Scope of vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities	Deleted
5.2 Written policies governing the provision of services to individuals with disabilities	Deleted
5.3 Opportunity to make informed choice regarding the selection of services and providers	Relocated to 5.6
5.4 Services to American Indians	Relocated to 5.7
5.5 Scope of vocational rehabilitation services to groups of individuals with disabilities	Deleted. Required assurance for construction of facilities relocated to 5.9
5.6 Contracts and cooperative agreements	Relocated to 5.10
Section 6: Administration of the Provision of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6.1 Record of services	Deleted
6.2 Referral and applications	Deleted
6.3 Information and referral services	Relocated to 5.1
6.4 Ability to serve all eligible individuals; order of selection for services	Relocated to 5.3
6.5 Assessment for determining eligibility and priority for services	Deleted. Assurance for residency requirement relocated to 5.2.
6.6 procedures for ineligibility determination	Deleted
6.7 Closure without eligibility determination	Deleted
6.8 Availability of comparable services and benefits	Relocated to 5.4
6.9 Participation of individuals in cost of services based on financial need	Deleted
6.10 Development of the individualized plan for employment	Deleted. Required assurance for the individualized plan for employment relocated to 5.5
6.11 Mandatory components of the individualized plan for employment	Deleted. Required assurance for the individualized plan for employment relocated to 5.5
6.12 Annual review of individuals in extended employment or other employment under special certificate provisions of the fair labor act of 1938	Relocated to 5.8

The following is the new Section 5. Where appropriate, the assurance statements were updated to reflect current VR program requirements.

Proposed State Plan Preprint

Effective February 1, 2007

Based on 1998 legislation and 2001 regulations

Section 5: Administration of the Provision

of Vocational Rehabilitation

Services

5.1 Information and referral services

5.2 Residency

5.3 Ability to serve all eligible individuals; order of selection for services

5.4 Availability of comparable services and benefits

5.5 Individualized plan for employment

5.6 Opportunity to make informed choices regarding the selection of services and providers

5.7 Services to American Indians

5.8 Annual Review of Individuals in extended employment or other employment under special certificate provisions of the fair labor standards act of 1938

5.9 Use of Title I funds for construction of facilities

5.10 Contracts and cooperative agreements

Combining previous Sections 5 and 6 into a new Section 5 resulted in renumbering the sections, the assurances, and the related attachments for the State Plan Supplement for the State Supported Employment Services Program. These changes are shown below. As appropriate the content of these sections was also updated to reflect current SE program requirements.

Current State Plan Pre-print Expires January 31, 2007	Proposed State Plan Preprint Effective February 1, 2007
State Plan Supplement for the State Supported Employment Services Program	State Plan Supplement for the State Supported Employment Services Program
Section 7: Program Administration	Section 6: Program Administration
7.1 Designated state agency	6.1 Designated State agency
7.2 Statewide assessment of supported employment services needs	6.2 Statewide assessment of supported employment services needs
7.3 Quality, scope, and extent of supported employment services	6.3 Quality, scope, and extent, of supported employment services
7.4 Goals and plans for distribution of Title VI, part B funds	6.4 Goals and plans for distribution of title VI, part B funds
7.5 Evidence of collaboration with respect to supported employment services and extended services	6.5 Evidence of collaboration with respect to supported employment services and extended services
7.6 Minority outreach	6.6 Minority outreach
7.7 Reports	6.7 Reports
Section 8: Financial Administration	Section 7: Financial Administration
8.1 Use of funds in providing services	7.1 Five percent limitation on administrative costs
8.2 Use of funds in providing services	7.2 Use of funds in providing services
Section 9: provision of Supported Employment Services	Section 8: Provision of Supported Employment Services
9.1 Scope of supported employment services	8.1 Scope of supported employment services
9.2 Comprehensive assessment of individuals with significant disabilities	8.2 Comprehensive assessments of individuals with significant disabilities
9.3 Individualized plan for employment	8.3 Individualized plan for employment