(1) Supervise the administration of assistance to the needy blind under this part by the regional directors;

(2) Make such rules and regulations and take such action as may be necessary or desirable for carrying out this part. All rules and regulations made by the department shall be binding on the counties and shall be complied with by the respective regional directors;

(3) Establish standards for personnel employed by the department in the administration of this part and make necessary rules and regulations to maintain such standards;

(4) Compile and supply to the regional director such forms as it may deem necessary and advisable;

(5) Cooperate with the commissioner of social security, or any federal officer or agency made successor to the commissioner of social security, in any reasonable manner as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid for assistance to the needy blind and in conformity with this part, including the making of such reports in such forms and containing such information as the commissioner of social security may from time to time require, and comply with such provisions as such commissioner may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;

(6) Publish an annual report and such interim reports as may be necessary;

(7) Designate a suitable number of ophthalmologists, duly licensed to practice medicine in Tennessee and actively engaged in the treatment of diseases of the human eye, or who are licensed, registered optometrists actively engaged in the practice of optometry in Tennessee, to examine recipients of assistance to the blind;

(8) Fix the fees to be paid to ophthalmologists and optometrists for such examinations, such fees to be paid out of funds allocated to the department; and

(9) Designate a suitable number of optometrists duly licensed to practice optometry in this state and holding a current certificate of registration to examine recipients of assistance to the blind; provided, that nothing in this part shall at any time be construed by any state or local agency as conferring upon the optometrist any rights or privileges with regard to the practice of optometry not specifically authorized under title 63, chapter 8.