H. B. 4584
(By Delegates Caputo, Coleman, Mezzatesta,
Marshall, Angotti, Manchin and Prunty)
[Introduced February 18, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, article ten-a, chapter
eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to providing that
graduate school opportunities are made available to
individuals receiving rehabilitative services.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, article ten-a, chapter eighteen of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10A. REHABILITATION SERVICES.
§18-10A-8. Eligibility for vocational rehabilitation; eligibility
for graduate school.
(a) Vocational rehabilitation services shall be provided to any disabled individual who is present in the state at the time of
filing his or her application therefor, if the director after full
investigation shall determine that his or her rehabilitation can be
satisfactorily achieved. Such services shall also be provided to
any person who is eligible therefor under the terms of an agreement
with another state or with the federal government.
Except as otherwise provided by law or as specified in an
agreement with the federal government with respect to classes of
individuals certified to the state board thereunder, the following
rehabilitation services shall be provided at public cost only to
disabled individuals found to require financial assistance with
respect thereto:
(1) Physical restoration.
(2) Transportation, for any other purpose than that of
determining the eligibility of the individual for vocational
rehabilitation services and the nature and extent of the services
necessary.
(3) Occupational licenses.
(4) Occupational tools, equipment, initial stocks and
supplies, books and training material; the title to any or all of
which may be conveyed to the individual.
(5) Maintenance.
The rights of a disabled individual under the provisions of
this article shall not be transferable or assignable at law or in
equity.
(b) Any person who is found to be eligible under the
provisions of this section, who has graduated from an accredited
four-year undergraduate program with an overall collegiate grade
point average of 3.0 or above is eligible for an educational
stipend to cover necessary and reasonable expenses to attend the
accredited public graduate school of his or her choice, located in
this state. The director shall propose rules for legislative
approval
in accordance with the provisions of article three,
chapter twenty-nine-a, designed to effectuate the provisions of
this subsection.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that persons
meeting the eligibility requirements to receive rehabilitation
services who have graduated from college with at least a 3.0 grade
point average become eligible to attend a state funded graduate
school at state expense.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.