(a)
The State Department of Education shall award grants to establish Family Empowerment Centers on Disability in each of the 32 regions in the state established under the Early Start Family Resource Centers. In the first year of operation, the State Department of Education shall award these grants no later than February 15, 2002. In subsequent years, to the extent funding is available, the State Department of Education shall award these grants no later than February 15 of that year.
(b)
Once funding is secured, and annually until all centers are established, the State Department of Education shall submit a report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature documenting progress in establishing the centers.
(c)
The department shall develop the grant application, with advice from stakeholders, including parents, guardians, and family members of children with disabilities, as well as adults with disabilities and representatives of community agencies serving children and adults with disabilities.
(d)
The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be made available to the department, from the funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, for the purpose of securing an outside contractor to develop a request for proposal, disseminate the proposal, empanel readers to evaluate the proposals, and cover other costs related to this process.