216B.3 - COMMISSION DUTIES.
216B.3 COMMISSION DUTIES.
The commission shall:
1. Prepare and maintain a complete register of the blind of the
state which shall describe the condition, cause of blindness, ability
to receive education and industrial training, and other facts the
commission deems of value.
2. Assist in marketing of products of blind workers of the state.
3. Ameliorate the condition of the blind by promoting visits to
them in their homes for the purpose of instruction and by other
lawful methods as the commission deems expedient.
4. Make inquiries concerning the causes of blindness to ascertain
what portion of cases are preventable, and cooperate with the other
organized agents of the state in the adoption and enforcement of
proper preventive measures.
5. Provide for suitable vocational training if the commission
deems it advisable and necessary. The commission may establish
workshops for the employment of the blind, paying suitable wages for
work under the employment. The commission may provide or pay for,
during their training period, the temporary lodging and support of
persons receiving vocational training. The commission may use
receipts or earnings that accrue from the operation of workshops as
provided in this chapter, but a detailed statement of receipts or
earnings and expenditures shall be made monthly to the director of
the department of management.
6. Establish, manage, and control a special training,
orientation, and adjustment center or centers for the blind.
Training in the centers shall be limited to persons who are sixteen
years of age or older, and the department shall not provide or cause
to be provided any academic education or training to children under
the age of sixteen except that the commission may provide library
services to these children. The commission may provide for the
maintenance, upkeep, repair, and alteration of the buildings and
grounds designated as centers for the blind including the expenditure
of funds appropriated for that purpose. Nonresidents may be admitted
to Iowa centers for the blind as space is available, upon terms
determined by rule.
7. Establish and maintain offices for the department and
commission.
8. Accept gifts, grants, devises, or bequests of real or personal
property from any source for the use and purposes of the department.
Notwithstanding sections 8.33 and 12C.7, the interest accrued from
moneys received under this section shall not revert to the general
fund of the state.
9. Provide library services to persons who are blind and persons
with physical disabilities.
10. Act as a bureau of information and industrial aid for the
blind, such as assisting the blind in finding employment.
11. Be responsible for the budgetary and personnel decisions for
the department and commission.
12. Manage and control the property, both real and personal,
belonging to the department. The commission shall, according to the
schedule established in this subsection, when the price is reasonably
competitive and the quality as intended, purchase soybean-based inks
and plastic products with recycled content, including but not limited
to plastic garbage can liners. For purposes of this subsection,
"recycled content" means that the content of the product contains
a minimum of thirty percent postconsumer material.
a. By July 1, 1991, one hundred percent of the purchases of
inks which are used for newsprint paper for printing services
performed internally or contracted for by the commission shall be
soybean-based.
b. By July 1, 1995, a minimum of ten percent of the purchases
of garbage can liners made by the commission shall be plastic garbage
can liners with recycled content. The percentage purchased shall
increase by ten percent annually until fifty percent of the purchases
of garbage can liners are plastic garbage can liners with recycled
content.
c. By July 1, 1993, one hundred percent of the purchases of
inks, other than inks which are used for newsprint printing services,
and which are used internally or contracted for by the commission,
shall be soybean-based to the extent formulations for such inks are
available.
d. The commission shall report to the general assembly on
February 1 of each year, the following:
(1) A listing of plastic products which are regularly purchased
by the commission for which recycled content product alternatives are
available, including the cost of the plastic products purchased and
the cost of the recycled content product alternatives.
(2) Information relating to soybean-based inks and plastic
garbage can liners with recycled content regularly purchased by the
commission, including the cost of purchasing soybean-based inks and
plastic garbage can liners with recycled content and the percentages
of soybean-based inks and plastic garbage can liners with recycled
content that have been purchased.
e. The department of natural resources shall review the
procurement specifications currently used by the commission to
eliminate, wherever possible, discrimination against the procurement
of products manufactured with recycled content and soybean-based
inks.
f. The department of natural resources shall assist the
commission in locating suppliers of products with recycled content
and soybean-based inks, and collecting data on recycled content and
soybean-based ink purchases.
g. The commission, in conjunction with the department of
natural resources, shall adopt rules to carry out the provisions of
this section.
h. The department of natural resources shall cooperate with
the commission in all phases of implementing this section.
13. The commission shall, whenever technically feasible, purchase
and use degradable loose foam packing material manufactured from
grain starches or other renewable resources, unless the cost of the
packing material is more than ten percent greater than the cost of
packing material made from nonrenewable resources. For the purposes
of this subsection, "packing material" means material, other than
an exterior packing shell, that is used to stabilize, protect,
cushion, or brace the contents of a package.
14. Purchase and use recycled printing and writing paper in
accordance with the schedule established in section 8A.315; establish
a wastepaper recycling program in accordance with the recommendations
made by the department of natural resources and requirements of
section 8A.329; and, in accordance with section 8A.311, require
product content statements and compliance with requirements regarding
contract bidding.
15. Develop a plan to provide telephone yellow pages information
without charge to persons declared to be blind under the standards in
section 422.12, subsection 2, paragraph "a", subparagraph (5).
The department may apply for federal funds to support the service.
The program shall be limited in scope by the availability of funds.
16. a. A gasoline-powered motor vehicle purchased by the
commission shall not operate on gasoline other than ethanol blended
gasoline as defined in section 214A.1. A diesel-powered motor
vehicle purchased by the commission shall not operate on diesel fuel
other than biodiesel fuel as defined in section 214A.1, if
commercially available. A state issued credit card shall not be
valid to purchase gasoline other than ethanol blended gasoline or to
purchase diesel fuel other than biodiesel fuel, if commercially
available. The motor vehicle shall also be affixed with a brightly
visible sticker which notifies the traveling public that the motor
vehicle is being operated on ethanol blended gasoline or biodiesel
fuel, as applicable. However, the sticker is not required to be
affixed to an unmarked vehicle used for purposes of providing law
enforcement or security.
b. Of all new passenger vehicles and light pickup trucks
purchased by the commission, a minimum of ten percent of all such
vehicles and trucks purchased shall be equipped with engines which
utilize alternative methods of propulsion, including but not limited
to any of the following:
(1) A flexible fuel which is any of the following:
(a) E-85 gasoline as provided in section 214A.2.
(b) B-20 biodiesel blended fuel as provided in section 214A.2.
(c) A renewable fuel approved by the office of renewable fuels
and coproducts pursuant to section 159A.3.
(2) Compressed or liquefied natural gas.
(3) Propane gas.
(4) Solar energy.
(5) Electricity.
c. The provisions of paragraph "b" do not apply to
vehicles and trucks purchased and directly used for law enforcement
or off-road maintenance work.
17. Comply with the requirements for the purchase of lubricating
oils, industrial oils, greases, and hydraulic fluids as established
pursuant to section 8A.316.
18. Give preference to purchasing designated biobased products in
the same manner as provided in section 8A.317.
19. Plan, establish, administer, and promote a statewide program
to provide audio news and information services to blind or visually
impaired persons residing in this state.
a. The commission may enter into necessary contracts and
arrangements with the national federation for the blind to provide
for the delivery of newspapers over the telephone, furnished by the
national federation for the blind.
b. The commission may enter into necessary contracts and
arrangements with the Iowa radio reading information service for the
blind and print handicapped to provide for the delivery of
newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials over the radio,
furnished by the Iowa radio reading information service for the blind
and print handicapped. Section History: Recent Form
86 Acts, ch 1244, § 61
C87, § 601K.123
88 Acts, ch 1185, §4; 88 Acts, ch 1277, §31
C89, § 601L.3
89 Acts, ch 83, §79; 89 Acts, ch 272, §39; 90 Acts, ch 1237, § 5,
6; 91 Acts, ch 97, §59; 91 Acts, ch 194, §8; 91 Acts, ch 254, §23; 92
Acts, ch 1095, §4
C93, § 216B.3
93 Acts, ch 26, § 2; 93 Acts, ch 176, § 38; 94 Acts, ch 1119, §24;
95 Acts, ch 44, §1; 95 Acts, ch 62, §2; 96 Acts, ch 1129, § 30; 98
Acts, ch 1082, §3; 99 Acts, ch 114, §14; 99 Acts, ch 121, §8; 2000
Acts, ch 1109, §3; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §207; 2004 Acts, ch 1176, §10;
2006 Acts, ch 1142, §59, 60; 2007 Acts, ch 22, §52; 2008 Acts, ch
1104, § 3; 2008 Acts, ch 1169, § 37, 42; 2009 Acts, ch 41, § 222;
2009 Acts, ch 133, § 230
Referred to in § 8A.302, 8A.321, 8A.322