1. As set forth in section 205.971, when a levy is approved by the voters, the governing body of any county or city not within a county of this state shall establish a board of directors. The board of directors shall be a legal entity empowered to establish and/or operate a sheltered workshop as defined in section 178.900, residence facilities, or related services, for the care or employment, or both, of persons with a disability. The facility may operate at one or more locations in the county or city not within a county. Once established, the board may in its own name engage in and contract for any and all types of services, actions or endeavors, not contrary to the law, necessary to the successful and efficient prosecution and continuation of the business and purposes for which it is created, and may purchase, receive, lease or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, use, sell, convey, exchange, transfer, and otherwise dispose of real and personal property, or any interest therein, or other assets wherever situated and may incur liability and may borrow money at rates of interest up to the market rate published by the Missouri division of finance. The board shall be taken and considered as a “political subdivision” as the term is defined in section 70.600 for the purposes of sections 70.600 to 70.755.

2. Services may only be provided for those persons defined as persons with a disability in section 178.900 and those persons defined as persons with a disability in this section whether or not employed at the facility or in the community, and for persons who are disabled due to developmental disability. Persons having substantial functional limitations due to a mental illness as defined in section 630.005 shall not be eligible for services under the provisions of sections 205.968 to 205.972 except that those persons may participate in services under the provisions of sections 205.968 to 205.972. All persons otherwise eligible for facilities or services under this section shall be eligible regardless of their age; except that, individuals employed in sheltered workshops must be at least sixteen years of age. The board may, in its discretion, impose limitations with respect to individuals to be served and services to be provided. Such limitations shall be reasonable in the light of available funds, needs of the persons and community to be served as assessed by the board, and the appropriateness and efficiency of combining services to persons with various types of disabilities.

3. For the purposes of sections 205.968 to 205.972, the term

(1) “Developmental disability” shall mean either or both paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection:

(a) A disability which is attributable to intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, a learning disability related to a brain dysfunction or a similar condition found by comprehensive evaluation to be closely related to such conditions, or to require habilitation similar to that required for intellectually disabled persons; and

a. Which originated before age eighteen; and

b. Which can be expected to continue indefinitely;

(b) A developmental disability as defined in section 630.005;

(2) “Person with a disability” shall mean a person who is lower-range educable or upper-range trainable intellectually disabled or a person who has a developmental disability.