[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 34, Volume 2] [Revised as of July 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 34CFR361.29] [Page 290-291] TITLE 34--EDUCATION REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PART 361--STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES PROGRAM--Table of Contents Subpart B--State Plan and Other Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation Services Sec. 361.29 Statewide assessment; annual estimates; annual State goals and priorities; strategies; and progress reports. (a) Comprehensive statewide assessment. (1) The State plan must include-- (i) The results of a comprehensive, statewide assessment, jointly conducted by the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council (if the State unit has a Council) every 3 years describing the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities residing within the State, particularly the vocational rehabilitation services needs of-- (A) Individuals with the most significant disabilities, including their need for supported employment services; (B) Individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the vocational rehabilitation program carried out under this part; and (C) Individuals with disabilities served through other components of the statewide workforce investment system as identified by those individuals and personnel assisting those individuals through the components of the system; and (ii) An assessment of the need to establish, develop, or improve community rehabilitation programs within the State. (2) The State plan must assure that the State will submit to the Secretary a report containing information regarding updates to the assessments under paragraph (a) of this section for any year in which the State updates the assessments. (b) Annual estimates. The State plan must include, and must assure that the State will annually submit a report to the Secretary that includes, State estimates of-- (1) The number of individuals in the State who are eligible for services under this part; (2) The number of eligible individuals who will receive services provided with funds provided under part B of Title I of the Act and under part B of Title VI of the Act, including, if the designated State agency uses an order of selection in accordance with Sec. 361.36, estimates of the number of individuals to be served under each priority category within the order; and (3) The costs of the services described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, including, if the designated State agency uses an order of selection, the service costs for each priority category within the order. (c) Goals and priorities. (1) In general. The State plan must identify the goals and priorities of the State in carrying out the program. (2) Council. The goals and priorities must be jointly developed, agreed to, reviewed annually, and, as necessary, revised by the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council, if the State unit has a Council. (3) Submission. The State plan must assure that the State will submit to the Secretary a report containing information regarding revisions in the goals and priorities for any year in [[Page 291]] which the State revises the goals and priorities. (4) Basis for goals and priorities. The State goals and priorities must be based on an analysis of-- (i) The comprehensive statewide assessment described in paragraph (a) of this section, including any updates to the assessment; (ii) The performance of the State on the standards and indicators established under section 106 of the Act; and (iii) Other available information on the operation and the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program carried out in the State, including any reports received from the State Rehabilitation Council under Sec. 361.17(h) and the findings and recommendations from monitoring activities conducted under section 107 of the Act. (5) Service and outcome goals for categories in order of selection. If the designated State agency uses an order of selection in accordance with Sec. 361.36, the State plan must identify the State's service and outcome goals and the time within which these goals may be achieved for individuals in each priority category within the order. (d)Strategies. The State plan must describe the strategies the State will use to address the needs identified in the assessment conducted under paragraph (a) of this section and achieve the goals and priorities identified in paragraph (c) of this section, including-- (1) The methods to be used to expand and improve services to individuals with disabilities, including how a broad range of assistive technology services and assistive technology devices will be provided to those individuals at each stage of the rehabilitation process and how those services and devices will be provided to individuals with disabilities on a statewide basis; (2) Outreach procedures to identify and serve individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the vocational rehabilitation program; (3) As applicable, the plan of the State for establishing, developing, or improving community rehabilitation programs; (4) Strategies to improve the performance of the State with respect to the evaluation standards and performance indicators established pursuant to section 106 of the Act; and (5) Strategies for assisting other components of the statewide workforce investment system in assisting individuals with disabilities. (e) Evaluation and reports of progress. (1) The State plan must include-- (i) The results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program; and (ii) A joint report by the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council, if the State unit has a Council, to the Secretary on the progress made in improving the effectiveness of the program from the previous year. This evaluation and joint report must include-- (A) An evaluation of the extent to which the goals and priorities identified in paragraph (c) of this section were achieved; (B) A description of the strategies that contributed to the achievement of the goals and priorities; (C) To the extent to which the goals and priorities were not achieved, a description of the factors that impeded that achievement; and (D) An assessment of the performance of the State on the standards and indicators established pursuant to section 106 of the Act. (2) The State plan must assure that the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council, if the State unit has a Council, will jointly submit to the Secretary an annual report that contains the information described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1820-0500) (Authority: Section 101(a)(15) of the Act; 29 U.S.C. 721(a)(15)) [66 FR 4382, Jan. 17, 2001, as amended at 66 FR 7253, Jan. 22, 2001]