§ 143B-216.33. Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing creation, powers and duties.
§ 143B‑216.33. Division of Services for theDeaf and the Hard of Hearing creation, powers and duties.
(a) There is hereby created within the Department of Health andHuman Services, the Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing.The Division shall have the powers and duties including the following:
(1) To review existing programs for persons who are deaf or hardof hearing in the State, and make recommendations to the Secretary of theDepartment of Health and Human Services and to the Superintendent of theDepartment of Public Instruction for improvements to such programs;
(2) Repealed by Session Laws 1999‑237, s. 11.4(b).
(3) To provide a network of resource centers for local access toservices such as interpreters, information and referral, telephone relay, andadvocacy for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing;
(4) To collect, study, maintain, publish and disseminateinformation relative to all aspects of deafness;
(5) To promote public awareness of the needs of, resources andopportunities available to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing;
(6) To provide technical assistance to agencies andorganizations in the development of services to persons who are deaf or hard ofhearing;
(7) To administer the Telecommunications Program for the Deafpursuant to G.S. 143B‑216.34; and
(8) To provide training and skill development programming toenhance the competence of individuals who aspire to be licensed or who arecurrently licensed as interpreters or transliterators under Chapter 90D of the GeneralStatutes.
(b) The Division shall function under the authority of theDepartment of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of the Department ofHealth and Human Services as provided in the Executive Organization Act of 1973and shall perform such other duties as are assigned by the Secretary.
(c) The Department of Health and Human Services may receivemoneys from any source, including federal funds, gifts, grants and bequestswhich shall be expended for the purposes designated in this Part. Gifts andbequests received shall be deposited in a trust fund with the State Treasurerwho shall hold them in trust in a separate account in the name of the Division.The cash balance of this account may be pooled for investment purposes, butinvestment earnings shall be credited pro rata to this participating account.Moneys deposited with the State Treasurer in the trust fund account pursuant tothis subsection, and investment earnings thereon, are available for expenditurewithout further authorization from the General Assembly. Such funds shall beadministered by the Division under the direction of the director and fiscalofficer of the Division and will be subject to audits normally conducted withthe agency.
(d) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Servicesshall adopt rules to implement this Part. (1989, c. 533, s. 2; 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a); 1999‑237, s.11.4(b); 2002‑182, s. 5; 2003‑56, s. 3.)