§ 1009. Powers and duties of department of social services relating to vocational rehabilitation of blind persons. 1. The board of social services, the department of social services and the New York state commission for the visually handicapped shall retain, and shall continue to exercise, all the powers and duties relating to blind persons conferred on them by the provisions of any other law. 2. The department of social services is empowered to perform any and all acts that may be required to be performed by it by any law of the United States in order to obtain funds through the New York state board for vocational education, or otherwise, from any federal department or agency, for use in the vocational rehabilitation of blind persons; such department is further empowered to use and expend such funds for the purpose herein mentioned in accordance with the provisions of any law of the United States making such funds available to the state. 3. (a) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this article, funds made available to the state by the United States to be used for vocational rehabilitation of blind persons shall be accepted and used by the state for such purposes provided the department of social services shall determine to accept and to use the same in accordance with the provisions of any law of the United States.

(b) Provided the federal government shall make funds available, the department of social services and its commission for the visually handicapped are empowered to accept gifts for the extension and improvement of non-profit facilities and workshops for the training and rehabilitation of blind persons, and to match the value of such gifts made to such department or commission for such purposes by or on behalf of such non-profit facilities or workshops. The department may utilize such federal funds and gifts for such purposes and may make appropriate agreements therefor with suitable non-profit agencies serving the blind.