Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 4.

Present law authorizes the vocational rehabilitation service of the department of human services to establish and supervise a business enterprise program for the blind, the purpose of which is to promote the vocational rehabilitation of blind individuals and to assist them in becoming self-supporting. Present law authorizes the director of services to make purchases of materials, equipment, stock, and merchandise for use in a business enterprise program for the blind without the necessity of taking bids for the purchases, advertisement for such bids, or other restrictions governing the purchase of materials generally on behalf of the state. This bill rewrites the provision above concerning the authority granted to the director of services and authorizes, instead, the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee to make such purchases without the necessity of taking bids for the purchases, advertising bids for such purchases, or complying with other restrictions governing the purchase of goods and services generally on behalf of this state. However, this bill clarifies that such authority does not apply to the purchase of software for use in inmate commissary facilities.