2006 Code of Virginia § 51.5-5 - Powers and duties of Council

51.5-5. Powers and duties of Council.

The Council shall exercise the following general powers and duties:

1. Provide access to the Department;

2. Publicize the policies and programs of the Department in order to educatethe public and elicit public support for the Department's programs;

3. Monitor the activities of the Department and have the right of access toDepartment information, provided that such access does not violate theconfidentiality of client records;

4. Advise the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, theCommissioner, and the General Assembly on the delivery of public services toand the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities on mattersrelating to this title, and on such other matters as the Governor, Secretary,Commissioner, or the General Assembly may request;

5. Advise on programmatic and fiscal policies governing the provision ofservices by the Department of Rehabilitative Services and the awarding ofgrants or contracts to any person or any public or private agency by theDepartment;

6. Review and comment on all budgets and requests for appropriations for theDepartment prior to their submission to the Secretary of Health and HumanResources and the Governor and on all applications for federal funds;

7. Advise on such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisionsof the laws of the Commonwealth administered by the Commissioner of theDepartment; and

8. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed to the Council by Title Iand Title VI of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 etseq. and 29 U.S.C. 795 et seq., respectively).

(Code 1950, 2.1-576, 22-330.1:1; 1978, c. 635; 1980, c. 559; 1982, c. 12;1984, c. 720; 1985, c. 421, 51.01-5; 1992, c. 755; 2003, cc. 57, 73.)