Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
g. 2. A. The justification for the order
Current Narrative:
The federal appropriation capacity for MVR was reduced by $15.5 million for the SFY25 state budget appropriation. This appropriation line in the Missouri state budget contains the ability to spend any federal funding sources that include the VR Federal Grant funds and funds received from Social Security Administration (SSA) Program income. MVR does transfer program income funds to the State Independent Living Services Program. This transfer of funds does not have an impact on the MVR program’s need to manage federal spending through an order of selection.
All non-federal funds passed in the state budget for case services are appropriated through a separate state appropriation line from federal spending authority. This appropriation includes state general revenue and interagency transfer with Missouri Department of Mental Health. This appropriation was not reduced and is at the same funding level as the previous state fiscal year, SFY 2024.
MVR continues to see a significant increase in new applicants entering the program, as well as a significant increase in new spending associated with serving those applicants. Applicant and expenditure projections for FFY25 estimate a shortage in federal spending authority making it necessary to implement an order of selection. An order of selection ensures current MVR participants with employment plans can be served without interruption through the management of the wait list for new applicants. Priority Category II: An individual with a significant disability and Priority Category III: An individual with a disability, as defined in section (g)(2)(B), will be closed on December 9, 2024.
MVR’s plan to move out the order of selection is a continuation of advocacy in conjunction with its designated state agency to restore the federal funding appropriation capacity to the SFY24 level for this fiscal year and subsequent years. Since only federal funding appropriation capacity was reduced, MVR anticipates moving out of an order of selection should the capacity to spend available federal funds is restored.