(1) The Department of Human Services is created.

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(2) The department is responsible for the delivery and administration of programs and services relating to:

(a) Children and families, including but not limited to child protective services, foster care, residential care for children and adoption services;

(b) Elderly persons and persons with disabilities, including but not limited to social, health and protective services and promotion of hiring of otherwise qualified persons who are certifiably disabled;

(c) Persons who, as a result of the person‘s or the person’s family’s economic, social or health condition, require financial assistance or other social services;

(d) Developmental disabilities;

(e) Vocational rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities;

(f) Licensing and regulation of individuals, facilities, institutions and programs providing health and human services and long term care services delegated to the department by or in accordance with the provisions of state and federal law;

(g) Services provided in long term care facilities, home-based and community-based care settings and residential facilities to individuals with physical disabilities or developmental disabilities and to seniors who receive residential facility care; and

(h) All other human service programs and functions delegated to the department by or in accordance with the provisions of state and federal law.

(3) The department shall be the recipient of all federal funds paid or to be paid to the state to enable the state to provide the programs and services assigned to the department except for Medicaid funds that are granted to the Oregon Health Authority.

(4)(a) All personnel of the department, including those engaged in the administration of vocational rehabilitation programs, public assistance programs, medical assistance programs and services to families or children in compliance with the federal Social Security laws, shall be subject to the merit system prescribed in the State Personnel Relations Law. For purposes of the State Personnel Relations Law, the department is the appointing authority of all employees in the department.

(b) The Director of Human Services, in conformity with the State Personnel Relations Law, may appoint and employ such personnel as may be necessary for the department, and may appoint and fix the compensation of all assistants and employees of the department.

(c) The director may authorize reimbursement of such expenses as are approved by the department and incurred by assistants and employees of the department, and by volunteers or other persons not employed by the department, in carrying out duties assigned or authorized by the department.

(5) The director may designate employees to be custodians of records within any of the organizational units of the department, and persons so designated shall have the duties and powers of custodians of public records as prescribed by law. Such designation shall be in writing and notice thereof shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, with the director and in the organizational unit to which the authorization applies. [Formerly 184.750; 1993 c.344 § 1; 1999 c.421 § 1; 2001 c.900 § 5; 2007 c.70 § 161; 2009 c.595 § 240; 2011 c.720 § 79; 2013 c.688 § 29]

[1993 c.674 § 11; repealed by 1997 c.753 § 20]

[Formerly 184.785; 1993 c.798 § 48; repealed by 1997 c.704 § 10a (409.021 enacted in lieu of 409.020)]

[1997 c.704 § 10b (enacted in lieu of 409.020); 1999 c.1095 § 2; repealed by 2003 c.73 § 60]