Subdivision 1. Definition. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given:

(a) "Client advisory committee" means a group of clients who represent client interests to supervisors and employers in vocational programs.

(b) "Consumer-controlled organization" means a self-advocacy organization which is controlled by a board having a majority of people with developmental disabilities.

Subd. 2. Committees developed. The commissioner of employment and economic development, through the division of rehabilitation resources, shall contract with a consumer-controlled organization to develop client advisory committees in vocational settings in developmental achievement centers, and state hospitals, and to allocate resources and technical assistance to client advisory committees in rehabilitation facilities as defined in section 268A.01.

Subd. 3. Purposes. A client advisory committee enables clients working in vocational settings to advocate for themselves with regard to matters of common interest. A client advisory committee may address any issue related to the vocational setting, including personnel policies, wages, hours of work, kinds of work, transportation to and from the workplace, and behavior problems. A client advisory committee may also meet to develop the skills and knowledge needed to represent fellow clients, such as decision-making skills, assertiveness, and awareness of public policies affecting people with developmental disabilities.

Subd. 4. Membership. Members of a client advisory committee must be elected by clients who work at the vocational setting.

History: 1987 c 370 art 1 s 2; 1988 c 689 art 2 s 268; 1994 c 483 s 1; 2004 c 206 s 52