Rehabilitation programs for employees suffering compensable injuries

(a) The Department of Aging and Disability Services shall provide rehabilitation programs for employees with compensable injuries within the provisions of this chapter, which injuries prevented such employees from performing their customary or most recent work. The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall establish rehabilitation programs which shall best suit the needs of such employees and shall make the programs available in convenient locations throughout the state. After consultation with the Labor Commissioner, the Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services may establish fees for the programs, so as to provide the most effective rehabilitation programs at a minimum rate. In order to carry out the provisions of this section, the Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, and, subject to the provisions of chapter 67, provide for the employment of necessary assistants. (b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall be authorized to (1) enter into agreements with other state or federal agencies to carry out the purposes of this section and expend money for that purpose, and (2) on behalf of the state of Connecticut, develop matching programs or activities to secure federal grants or funds for the purposes of this section and may pledge or use funds supplied from the administrative costs fund, as provided in section 31-345, to finance the state's share of the programs or activities.