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<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=JJones@okdrs.gov>Jean
Jones</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 20, 2017 2:44 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=AllVSEmployees@okdrs.gov>All VS Employees</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Legislative Update</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Legislative
Update<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>March 20,
2017<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Action pending on
bills of interest to blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Business Enterprise
Program: Although a Senate author was not procured for HB-2230 by the
internal House deadline for doing that, the bill will apparently still be
considered on the House floor. Senator Anthony Sykes (R-Moore) will
reportedly be the Senate author. The House Rules Committee has decided to
“strike the title” of this bill – so if passed by the House it will ultimately
come back before the House before being finalized. HB-2230 by Glen
Mulready would exempt county jail commissaries from the state law that gives
licensed blind managers priority to manage vending facilities on county and
state property. It can now be considered by the full House any time this
week.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>HB-1861 by Rep.
Leslie Osborn is expected to come before the full House very soon – probably
Tuesday. This bill requires DRS to contract out its independent living
program for older blind individuals. Rep. Faught of Muskogee has filed an
amendment that makes any contracting out optional, not mandatory. The
House will need to vote on this amendment first, when the bill comes to the
floor. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Both bills will
impact employment of blind individuals now and in the future, and HB-1861 will
impact the kind of services received by older individuals who are legally
blind.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: #076c8b'>Jean
Jones, Legislative Information Rep.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: #076c8b'>Oklahoma
Department of Rehabilitation Services <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Vocational
Rehabilitation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>DRS
State Office <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Toll
Free: 800-845-8476 | Ofc: 405-951-3488 | Cell: 405-365-9502 | </SPAN><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'><A
href="http://www.okdrs.gov/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #076c8b">www.okdrs.gov</SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="HEIGHT: 80px; WIDTH: 384px; MARGIN-TOP: 0px; POSITION: absolute; MARGIN-LEFT: 1px; Z-INDEX: 251659262; mso-ignore: vglayout"><IMG
alt="A red swoop and the DRS logo"
src="cid:3A3ED2809E564B8D918A86111B51BBC3@DESKTOP9DHK66V" width=384 height=80
v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"></SPAN><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'>Empower
Oklahomans with Disabilities</SPAN><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Franklin Gothic Book","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><br />
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