49-10-501 - General provisions.
49-10-501. General provisions.
(a) (1) Unless the function is performed for it by a special education services association, each school district and state institution shall establish and maintain a special education resources center, which shall perform the functions of procurement, maintenance, servicing and distribution of special education equipment, supplies and materials to the schools of the district and to any other persons or entities to which they are made available pursuant to law.
(2) Special education equipment, supplies and materials made available to schools and other entities shall be provided, made available and inventoried by the center.
(b) To the extent of its capabilities, a special education resources center may establish and operate or cooperate with others in establishing and operating programs of in-service training similar to those authorized for the unit by § 49-10-406.
(c) Centers established as required by this section shall cooperate with and may borrow or otherwise obtain from the unit, regional instructional materials centers, federal and other governmental agencies and appropriate private agencies equipment, supplies and materials that may be available from the unit, regional instructional materials centers, federal and other governmental agencies and appropriate private agencies and may be responsible for their proper distribution to and collection from schools and other entities entitled to receive and utilize them.
(d) It is the purpose of this section to promote the efficient and expert use of special education aids and to discourage their being positioned, kept or made available for use by persons and under conditions not conducive to their proper employment.
(e) The division of special education shall develop, revise and keep in force regulations and guidelines for the operation of centers and for their relationships to schools or other proper recipient entities.
(f) (1) The unit shall assist centers in their programs of training, equipment servicing, distribution and general administration.
(2) The unit shall encourage the maintenance of centers by special education services associations on behalf of their participating school districts, except in those instances where an individual school district has qualified as a special education services association.
[Acts 1972, ch. 839, § 7; T.C.A., § 49-2946.]