(1) In order to implement the provisions of this article 10, the executive director shall, subject to available appropriations, carry out the following duties:

(a) Conduct monitoring and review activities that include community-centered boards, service agencies, and case management agencies;

(b) Provide or obtain training and technical assistance through community-centered boards, service agencies, and case management agencies in order to improve the quality of services and supports provided to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities;

(c) Prepare and transmit annually to the governor and the joint budget committee of the general assembly, in the form and manner prescribed pursuant to section 24-1-136, C.R.S., a report detailing the following information, as available and appropriate, that is broken down into designated service areas as well as provided in an overall statewide format:

(I) The total number of persons receiving services pursuant to this article;

(II) The types of services and supports provided;

(III) The costs of services and supports regardless of funding source;

(IV) An evaluation of the quality of the services and supports rendered;

(V) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the services and supports rendered in implementing the individualized plans of persons receiving services;

(VI) The numbers, types, and resolution of appeals that were heard by the state department arising from disputes specified in section 25.5-10-212; and

(VII) The number of persons determined to be eligible to receive services and supports who are not receiving services or supports pursuant to this article along with an analysis of the reasons they are not receiving services and supports;

(d) Designate a community-centered board in each designated service area in the state;

(e) Implement the provision of home- and community-based services to eligible persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and pursue other medicaid-funded services determined by the state department to be appropriate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, pursuant to part 4 of article 6 of this title and subject to available appropriations;

(f) Promote effective coordination with agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in order to improve continuity of services and supports for persons facing life transitions from toddler to preschool, school to adult life, and work to retirement; and

(g) Facilitate employment first policies and practices by:

(I) Developing practices that reflect a presumption that all persons with disabilities are capable of working in competitive integrated employment if they choose to do so, and ensuring that options for competitive integrated employment with appropriate supports are explored before consideration of segregated activities;

(II) Providing state department input and assistance to the employment first advisory partnership described in section 8-84-303, C.R.S., in carrying out its duties;

(III) Establishing annual reporting of the following data, reported by county, for individuals eligible for supported employment services, including but not limited to home- and community-based waiver services:

(A) The number of individuals employed in group employment, the sector of employment, the mean wage per hour earned, and the mean hours worked per week;

(B) The number of individuals employed in competitive integrated employment, the sector of employment, the mean wage per hour earned, and the mean hours worked per week;

(C) The number of individuals employed and served in prevocational services, the sector of employment, the mean wage per hour earned, the mean hours worked per week, and the mean service hours per week;

(D) The number of individuals served in community-based nonwork and the mean service hours per week;

(E) The number of individuals served in specialized habilitation services and the mean service hours per week;

(F) The number of individuals employed or served, as applicable, in any other employment services or day services model, the sector of employment, and the mean wage per hour worked, mean hours worked per week, or the service hours per week, as applicable;

(G) The number of individuals eligible for employment services, regardless of whether the individual is utilizing employment services; and

(H) The number of individuals served earning less than minimum wage.

(IV) Maintaining Colorado's membership in the state employment leadership network that was founded as a joint partnership between the national association of state directors of developmental disabilities services and the institute for community inclusion at the university of Massachusetts Boston or another similar organization that facilitates collaboration with other states to share effective solutions to increase employment outcomes for persons with disabilities; and

(V) Presenting the reports and recommendations of the employment first advisory partnership to the state department's legislative committee of reference pursuant to section 8-84-303 (7), C.R.S.

(2) The state board shall adopt such rules, in accordance with section 24-4-103, as are necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this article 10, including but not limited to the following subjects:

(a) Standards for services and supports, including preparation of individualized plans;

(b) The designation of community-centered boards and the organization of those entities, including standards of organization, staff qualifications, and other factors necessary to ensure program integrity;

(c) Purchase of services and supports and financial administration;

(d) Procedures for resolving disputes over eligibility determination and the modification, denial, or termination of services;

(e) Eligibility determination, the criteria for determination, and admission to the program;

(f) Systems of quality assurance and data collection;

(g) The rights of a person receiving services;

(h) Confidentiality of records of a person receiving services;

(i) Designation of authorized representatives and delineation of their rights and duties pursuant to this article;

(j)

(I) The establishment of guidelines and procedures for authorization of persons for administration of nutrition and fluids through gastrostomy tubes.

(II) The state department shall require that a service agency providing residential or day program services or supports have a staff member qualified pursuant to subparagraph (III) of this paragraph (j) on duty at any time the facility administers said nutrition and fluids through gastrostomy tubes, and that the facility maintain a written record of each nutrient or fluid administered to each person receiving services, including the time and the amount of the nutrient or fluid.

(III) A person who is not otherwise authorized by law to administer nutrition and fluids through gastrostomy tubes is allowed to perform the duties only under the supervision of a licensed nurse or physician. A person who administers nutrition and fluids in compliance with the provisions of this paragraph (j) is exempt from the licensing requirements of the "Colorado Medical Practice Act", article 36 of title 12, C.R.S., and the "Nurse Practice Act", article 38 of title 12, C.R.S. Nothing in this paragraph (j) shall be deemed to authorize the administration of medications through gastrostomy tubes. A person administering medications through gastrostomy tubes is subject to the requirements of part 3 of article 1.5 of title 25, C.R.S.

(IV) For purposes of this paragraph (j), "administration" means assisting a person in the ingestion of nutrition or fluids according to the direction and supervision of a licensed nurse or physician.

(k)

(I) No later than July 1, 2019, the state board, in conjunction with the department of labor and employment, shall require a nationally recognized supported employment training certificate or nationally recognized supported employment certification for all vendors of supported employment services, including supported employment professionals who provide individual competitive integrated employment outcomes, and excluding those professionals exclusively providing group or other congregate services. The state board's rules must include time frames for compliance with the training or certification requirement for existing staff and for newly hired staff and requirements for supervision of newly hired staff until the staff member has completed the training or certification. The time frames established in the state board's rules must provide for training to be completed over a five-year period, subject to the availability of appropriations for reimbursement of vendors pursuant to subsection (2)(k)(II) of this section.

(II) The training or certification requirement in subsection (2)(k)(I) of this section is contingent upon appropriations to the department of health care policy and financing for reimbursement to vendors of supported employment services for the cost of training and certification. The state board shall adopt rules foradministering the reimbursement to vendors, which reimbursement must be three hundred dollars for each certification exam and twelve hundred dollars for each training program certificate, which includes reimbursement for both the cost of the training and wages paid to employees during training. The state board may increase the fixed reimbursement amount over time based on increases in the cost of the exam and employee wages.