A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Commission on Rehabilitation Services, to be designated the "Rehabilitation Services Disbursing Fund" provided that the fund may be designated by fiscal year designations as the Commission may determine. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations. The fund shall consist of receipts from the federal government, monies appropriated to the State Department of Rehabilitation Services by the State Legislature, and other receipts of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services as shall be directed by the Commission for Rehabilitation Services. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Commission for Rehabilitation Services as may be necessary in order to carry out the duties imposed upon the Commission by law. Expenditures from the Rehabilitation Services Disbursing Fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.

B. Appropriations, federal monies or any other monies collected by or for the Department and monies from the current and prior fiscal years may be transferred to and between the agency disbursing funds for the current or prior fiscal years, the Medical and Assistance Funds and any other funds authorized for the use by the Department as necessary to carry out the duties of the Commission. All transfer requests shall be in writing to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Such monies transferred shall be included in the Department's budget work program. The Department shall maintain records of the transfers.

C. Receipt and expenditure of unanticipated federal funds awarded to the Department after the commencement of the fiscal year shall be exempt from expenditure limitations, provided that any such funds are included in the Department's budget work program.

D. The Director of the Department may request through the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services the early transfer by the Oklahoma Tax Commission of tax collection to the General Revenue Fund for the purpose of early allocation to the Department's disbursing funds to alleviate cash-flow problems.

E. The Department of Rehabilitation Services may direct all or a portion of federal and state funds received and appropriated for services to Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) to qualified community-based, nonprofit organizations accredited by the National Accreditation Council for Blind and Low Vision Services to administer, pursuant to contract, services for older individuals with vision impairments including, but not limited to, assisting in correcting or modifying visual disabilities including optical vision aids, in-home training, orientation and mobility, Braille instruction, adaptive skills training, information and referral, peer counseling and other appropriate services designed to assist an older individual who is blind with daily living activities.

F. Funds received by the Commission for OIB Rehabilitation Services from the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration and state matching funds may, in their entirety, be used to fund the Independent Living Older Blind program as established in The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

G. Services provided by qualified Older Independent Blind contractors may be dependent upon budget parameters and staffing.

Added by Laws 1996, c. 239, § 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1996. Amended by Laws 2012, c. 304, § 839; Laws 2017, c. 126, § 1, eff. July. 1, 2017; Laws 2018, c. 304, § 22, emerg. eff. May 10, 2018.

NOTE: Editorially renumbered from § 166.7 of Title 75 to provide consistency in numbering.

NOTE: Laws 2017, c. 321, § 1 repealed by Laws 2018, c. 304, § 23, emerg. eff. May 10, 2018.