[Rehab] Policies vs. Regulations

[Justin Salisbury]

Hello everyone,

In one state, not Vermont, we've been having conversations with a state VR agency about how the agency refuses to make its VR policies public. The agency has a habit of using its policies to justify not doing something but then never publishing its policy manual. The state does make public its regulations in the state regulatory code, but I'm pretty sure this is technically different, especially when the agency staff insist that the state VR policy manual is not for public distribution. This would be a pointless statement if it were the same thing as the published regulations.

I'm trying to figure out how to articulate what the difference is between agency policies and state regulations. My best attempt is as follows, but please help me out if you think you can:

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Regulations create a set of rules that must be followed in a program of government and any agency which runs such program. Agencies make their own policies to carry out the functions of the agency (deliver the program), and the policies set by the agency must not contradict the regulations of the program placed on the agency.
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To me, it feels like they should be obligated to make the policies of their VR program public. Even the Client Assistance Program in this state doesn't have a copy of the VR agency policies, which seems ridiculous.

Thank you,

Justin


Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury
he/him/his

Phone: 808.797.8606
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
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