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The Public Hearing of Proposed Changes to the  
Administrative Rules, taken before Annette R. Blough,  
RPR/CSR-5191, via Zoom Videoconferencing, in the City of  
Lansing, Michigan, commencing at about 1:00 p.m.,  
Wednesday, October 18, 2023, pursuant to Notice.  
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APPEARANCES:  
MICHIGAN REHABILITATION SERVICES  
By: Mr. Tyler Gross  
1048 Pierpont, Suite 6  
Conference Room A  
Lansing, Michigan 48913  
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INDEX  
WITNESS:  
None  
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PAGE NO.:  
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EXHIBITS:  
(None Marked For Identification.)  
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MR. GROSS: Hello, everyone. I would like to  
call this public hearing to order. My name is Tyler  
Gross and I am a policy analyst with Michigan  
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Rehabilitation Services or MRS. I will be facilitating  
this public hearing today. This public hearing is being  
recorded. We have an American Sign Language interpreter  
present. Also, we have a Communication Access Realtime  
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Translation or CART transcriptionist remotely present and  
displayed on this wall behind me.  
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If anyone would like their own access to a  
realtime transcript of the session, please let me know  
now and I will provide that link.  
Please make sure your cell phones are silenced.  
This public hearing is being called to order at  
1:01 on October 18 at 1048 Pierpont, Suite 6, Conference  
Room A, Lansing, Michigan, 48913.  
This is a Public Hearing of Proposed Changes to  
the Administrative Rules for the State of Michigan  
designated General Vocational Rehabilitation Program  
spanning Rules 3951 to Rule 39588.  
MRS' administrative rules are being amended to  
update definitions to align with Federal regulations and  
provide clarity, modify the general requirements and  
non-discrimination statement, capture the Agency's  
process for developing a fee schedule for standardized  
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rates of payment, and to bring the rules into conformity  
with current practice regarding post-employment services.  
Full copies of the proposed administrative rule changes,  
notice of public hearing, and regulatory impact statement  
are available at the front of the room and upon request.  
This public hearing is being conducted pursuant  
to provisions of 34 CFR 361.10(c) and 34 CFR 361.20.  
And on behalf of Michigan Rehabilitation  
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Services, Office of Employment and Training, Michigan  
Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, I notice  
that this public hearing was published in three  
newspapers of general circulation: In the Lansing State  
Journal on September 17th, 2023; in the Oakland Press on  
September 20th, 2023; and in the Mining Journal on  
September 30th, 2023. Information related to this rule  
making activity was published in the most recent edition  
of the Michigan Register.  
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Additionally, noting that this public hearing,  
along with the associated request of rule making,  
regulatory impact statement in draft rule language is  
available on the Public Michigan Rehabilitation Services  
website at www.michigan.gov/mrs.  
We are here today to receive your comments only  
on the previously summarized proposal for proposed  
changes to administrative rules. If you wish to speak,  
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please make sure you have signed in and indicated your  
willingness to speak. We will call on speakers in the  
descending order in which their names are listed on the  
sign-in sheet.  
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When you come forward, please speak into the  
microphone; stand approximately where I am, to the right  
of the sign language interpreter; and identify yourself  
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by giving your first, last name, and any organization you  
represent so that this information can be included in the  
recording and transcript.  
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If you have additional comments to submit in  
writing, you may leave them at the sign-in desk.  
There are paper templates for submission of written  
comments on the sign-in desk. Also, you can submit  
written comment to me via email at grosst@michigan.gov.  
That is G-R-O-S-S-T@michigan.gov. The open period for  
public comment closes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard  
today, Wednesday, October 18th. I'm going to walk over  
to the sign-in sheet and just see if anyone would like to  
provide public comment for today.  
Okay. We have a John from Disability Rights  
Michigan and the client assistance program. The public  
meeting recognizes John of Disability Rights Michigan and  
the client assistance program to provide comment. Please  
come to the front of the room and speak your comment into  
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the microphone.  
MR. SLOAT: So my name is John Sloat and I'm a  
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staff attorney at Disability Rights Michigan and I work  
with the client assistance program.  
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I just want to note that the client assistance  
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program submitted written comments to MRS regarding this  
rule making. I'm not going to repeat or go into any of  
those specific comments in this public comment now.  
Prior to the beginning of this public hearing, I had a  
conversation with Mr. Gross. And it is my understanding  
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that MRS will actively consult with the client assistance  
program regarding the comments that the client assistance  
program submitted. And the client assistance program  
looks forward to engaging with MRS about these elements.  
Thank you.  
MR. GROSS: Based on our sign-in sheet, there  
are no further public comments at this time. The time is  
1:05 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This public hearing is  
scheduled to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and will  
remain open for public comments until then.  
This hearing is now off the record until called  
back on record by me.  
(Off the record at 1:05 p.m.)  
(Back on the record at 1:56 p.m.)  
MR. GROSS: This public hearing is again now on  
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record.  
Since there are no further comments at the  
time, I will close this public hearing at 1:56 p.m.  
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The record will remain open for public comment until 5:00  
p.m. Eastern Standard Time today, Wednesday,  
October 18th, for any additional comments that the public  
may wish to share regarding the proposed administrative  
ruling.  
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Thank you all for coming today. And this  
public hearing is now closed.  
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(Public hearing closed at 1:56 p.m.)  
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STATE OF MICHIGAN)  
) ss  
COUNTY OF OTTAWA )  
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I, Annette R. Blough, CRC/CRR/RPR/CSR-5191,  
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do hereby certify that I reported the foregoing public  
hearing via Zoom Videoconferencing; that the same was  
reduced to typewritten form, and that the attached eight  
pages constitute a full, true and accurate transcript.  
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my  
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hand this 24th day of October, 2023.  
__________________________________________________  
Annette R. Blough, CRC/CRR/RPR/CSR-5191 and Notary  
Public, Ottawa County, acting in Kent County, Michigan.  
My Commission expires 1-17-2027  
;