Declares that one of the primary purposes of this act is to enable injured participants to return to their regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit. To this end, the state board shall utilize the services of individuals and organizations, public or private, whose experience, training, and interests in vocational rehabilitation and retraining qualify them to lend expert assistance to the secretary or the secretary's designee in such programs of vocational rehabilitation as may be reasonable to make the participant return to his or her regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit consistent with his or her physical and mental status.

Provides that, after evaluation and recommendation by such individuals or organizations and prior to final evaluation of the participant's permanent disability, if in the sole opinion of the secretary or the secretary's designee, whether or not medical treatment has been concluded, vocational rehabilitation is both necessary and likely to enable the injured participant to return to his or her regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit, the secretary or the secretary's designee may, in his or her sole discretion, pay the cost as provided in this act.