(1) The Department of Human Services is created.
(2) The department is responsible for the delivery and administration of programs and services relating to:
(a) Children and families, including but not limited to child protective services, foster care, residential care for children and adoption services;
(b) Elderly persons and persons with disabilities, including but not limited to social, health and protective services and promotion of hiring of otherwise qualified persons who are certifiably disabled;
(c) Persons who, as a result of the person’s or the person’s family’s economic, social or health condition, require financial assistance, institutional care, rehabilitation or other social and health services;
(d) Health and health-related affairs, including but not limited to medical assistance and services, public health services, migrant health services, licensing of health facilities and coordination of the activities of professional and occupational licensing boards;
(e) Mental health and developmental disabilities;
(f) Vocational rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities;
(g) Alcohol abuse, drug abuse, addiction and chemical dependency problems;
(h) Licensing and regulation of individuals, facilities and programs providing health and human services, in accordance with the provisions of state and federal law; and
(i) Any other health and human service programs and functions delegated to the department by or in accordance with the provisions of state and federal law.
(3) The department shall be the recipient of all federal funds paid or to be paid to the state to enable the state to provide the programs and services assigned to the department.
(4)(a) All personnel of the department, including those engaged in the administration of vocational rehabilitation programs, public assistance programs and services to families or children in compliance with the federal Social Security laws, shall be subject to the merit system prescribed in the State Personnel Relations Law. For purposes of the State Personnel Relations Law, the department is the appointing authority of all employees in the department.
(b) The Director of Human Services, in conformity with the State Personnel Relations Law, may appoint and employ such personnel as may be necessary for the department, and may appoint and fix the compensation of all assistants and employees of the department.
(c) The director may authorize reimbursement of such expenses as are approved by the department and incurred by assistants and employees of the department, and by volunteers or other persons not employed by the department, in carrying out duties assigned or authorized by the department.
(5) The director may designate employees to be custodians of records within any of the organizational units of the department, and persons so designated shall have the duties and powers of custodians of public records as prescribed by law. Such designation shall be in writing and notice thereof shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, with the director and in the organizational unit to which the authorization applies. [Formerly 184.750; 1993 c.344 §1; 1999 c.421 §1; 2001 c.900 §5; 2007 c.70 §161]
Section: 409.010 409.015 409.020 409.021 409.025 409.027 409.030 409.040 409.050 409.055 409.060 409.070 409.075 409.080 409.093 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008