Virginia Law

Article 2. Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.

A. The supervision of the Department shall be the responsibility of the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services under the direction and control of the Governor and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. The Commissioner shall be a person of proven executive and administrative knowledge, skills, and abilities, with appropriate education and substantial experience in the field of aging and rehabilitative services. He shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor for a term coincident with that of the Governor.

B. In cooperation with the Commonwealth Council on Aging, the Commissioner shall serve as the Governor's principal advisor on aging issues and shall recommend to the Governor and the General Assembly such policies, legislation, and other actions appropriate to meet the needs of an aging society and to improve aging services in the Commonwealth. In addition, the Commissioner shall serve as Special Assistant to the Governor for Aging Policy and shall report directly to the Governor as necessary on aging policies.

Code 1950, §§ 2.1-579, 22-330.4:2; 1978, c. 635; 1980, c. 559; 1982, c. 12; 1984, c. 720; 1985, c. 421, §§ 51.01-13, 51.5-13; 2012, cc. 803, 835.

The Commissioner shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To employ such personnel, qualified by knowledge, skills, and abilities, as may be required to carry out the purposes of this chapter relating to the Department;

2. To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary for or incidental to the performance of the Department's duties and the execution of its powers under this title, including but not limited to contracts with the United States, other states, agencies, and governmental subdivisions of the Commonwealth;

3. To accept grants from the United States government and agencies and instrumentalities thereof and any other source and, to these ends, to comply with such conditions and execute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient, or desirable;

4. To perform all acts necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

5. To develop and analyze information on the needs of older Virginians and persons with disabilities;

6. To establish plans, policies, and programs for the delivery of services to older Virginians and persons with disabilities for consideration by the Governor and the General Assembly. Such policies, plans, and programs for services for those who cannot benefit from vocational rehabilitation shall be prepared over time and as funds become available for such efforts;

7. To operate and maintain the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center and to organize, supervise, and provide other necessary services and facilities (i) to prepare persons with disabilities for useful and productive lives, including suitable employment, and (ii) to enable persons with disabilities, to the degree possible, to become self-sufficient and have a sense of well-being;

8. To develop criteria for the evaluation of plans and programs relative to the provision of aging services for older Virginians and persons with disabilities as required by the Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq., as amended;

9. To investigate the availability of funds from any source for planning, developing, and providing services to older Virginians and persons with disabilities, particularly those not capable of being gainfully employed;

10. To coordinate the Department's plans, policies, programs, and services, and such programs and services required under § 51.5-123, with those of the other state agencies providing services to persons with disabilities so as to achieve maximum utilization of available resources to meet the needs of such persons;

11. To compile and provide information on the availability of federal, state, regional, and local funds and services for older Virginians and persons with disabilities;

12. To accept, execute, and administer any trust in which the Department may have an interest, under the terms of the instruments creating the trust, subject to the approval of the Governor;

13. To promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the laws of the Commonwealth administered by the Department;

14. To work with the Department of Veterans Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a program for mental health and rehabilitative services for Virginia veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves not in active federal service and their family members pursuant to § 2.2-2001.1;

15. To promote the use of technologies to realize communication access and increase livability across the Commonwealth; and

16. To perform such other duties as may be required by the Governor and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

Code 1950, §§ 2.1-580, 22-330.4:3; 1978, c. 635; 1980, c. 559; 1982, c. 12; 1985, c. 421, §§ 51.01-14, 51.5-14; 1989, c. 176; 1992, c. 755; 2008, cc. 584, 754; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2012, cc. 803, 835; 2015, c. 542; 2020, c. 728.

The Commissioner shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) to effectuate the provisions of Chapter 5.1 (§ 32.1-162.16 et seq.) of Title 32.1 for human research, as defined in § 32.1-162.16, to be conducted or authorized by the Department, any area agency on aging, any sheltered workshop, any independent living center, or the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center. The regulations shall require the human research review committee, as provided in § 32.1-162.19, to submit to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Commissioner or his designee, at least annually, a report on the human research projects reviewed and approved by the committee and shall require the committee to report any significant deviations from the proposals as approved.

2003, cc. 57, 73, § 51.5-14.01; 2012, cc. 803, 835; 2015, c. 542; 2020, c. 728.

The Commissioner shall assist and cooperate with local authorities in the administration of this chapter. He shall encourage and direct the training of all personnel of local boards and local departments engaged in the administration of any adult services or adult protective services program within the purview of this chapter. The Commissioner shall collect and publish statistics and such other data as may be deemed of value in assisting public authorities and agencies of the Commonwealth in improving the care of older Virginians and persons with disabilities. The Commissioner shall also, in his discretion, initiate and conduct conferences designed to accomplish such ends and to further coordination of effort in this field.

2012, cc. 803, 835.