Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, § 3403: State agencies; requirements

1. Employment as core component of services and supports. In carrying out its duties to provide services and supports to persons with disabilities, a state agency shall include as a core component of its services and supports the opportunity for persons with disabilities to acquire integrated community-based employment or customized employment. A. When entering into contracts with providers of services to persons with disabilities, a state agency shall include appropriate provisions regarding facilitating integrated community-based employment or customized employment and ensuring measurable outcomes. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] B. A state agency shall incorporate standards for integrated community-based employment and customized employment into its processes for program monitoring and quality assurance. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] 2. First and preferred service or support option. When providing services or supports to a person with a disability, a state agency shall offer to the person, as the first and preferred service or support option, a choice of employment services that will support the acquisition by the person of integrated community-based employment or customized employment. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] 3. Coordination of efforts and information. A state agency shall: A. Coordinate its efforts with other state agencies to ensure that the programs directed, the funding managed and the policies adopted by each state agency support the acquisition by persons with disabilities of integrated community-based employment or customized employment; and [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] B. When permissible under the law, share information regarding the use of services and other data with other state agencies in order to monitor progress toward facilitating the acquisition by persons with disabilities of integrated community-based employment or customized employment. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] 4. Pursuit of employment; option. Nothing in this chapter may be construed to require a person with a disability who receives services from a state agency to accept employment services from that state agency or to experience a loss of services as a result of choosing not to explore employment options. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).] 5. Rulemaking. A state agency shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A. [RR 2013, c. 1, §46 (RAL).]