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.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 216B.3

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Department: means the department of human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 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 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. Provide for the purchase of qualified renewable fuels to power internal combustion engines that are used to operate motor vehicles and for the purchase of motor vehicles operating using engines powered by qualified renewable fuels in the same manner required for the director of the department of administrative services pursuant to section 8A.368. The commission shall compile information regarding compliance with the provisions of this paragraph in the same manner as the department of administrative services pursuant to section 8A.369. The commission shall cooperate with the department of administrative services in preparing the annual state fleet qualified renewable fuels compliance report regarding compliance with this paragraph as provided in section 8A.369.

 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.
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