Communication and Collaboration Committee Meeting
January 9, 2026
Draft Meeting Minutes

Action Items: 
•	SB837 (Reyes) Disaster and Emergency Preparedness will be added to the “In Consideration Bills” list for the next meeting. 
•	CDSS will share the All County Letters and other opportunities to engage on the H.R. 1 changes with SILC Staff, who will share them with C and C Members. 

1.	 Call to Order 

2.	 Introductions
Roque Alas Bucton – C and C Chair
Meleana Chun-Moy – C and C Vice-Chair
Rian Dindzans – C and C Member
Chris Fitzgerald – C and C member
Lisa Hayes - SILC Member/Executive Director, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC)
Claire Ramsey – California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Chief Deputy Director for Disability, Adults, and Housing Integration
Becky Silva – CalFresh Branch Chief, CDSS 
Mike Valencia – Grant Administrator, Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) 
Carrie England – SILC Executive Director
Allison Viramontes-Nhan – SILC Legislative Specialist
Danielle Hess – SILC Office Manager

3.	 Public Comment
None

4.	 Purpose of the Communication and Collaboration Committee and Importance of Member Attendance 
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan shared that the C and C Committee supports the work of the SILC in coordinating with the Independent Living network in support of the goals, objectives, and priorities of the SILC. Regular attendance of members allows informed decision-making by a quorum of members. 

5.	 SILC Member Updates
None

6.	 Approval of the Draft Minutes from September 12, 2025, Communication and Collaboration Committee Meeting
Mx. Dindzans motioned for approval of the Draft Minutes from September 12, 2025, and Ms. Chun-Moy seconded the motion. This passed unanimously with one abstention through a roll call vote.  

7.	 Legislation Update
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan reviewed the Legislative Calendar Deadlines for January 2026 to begin the second year of the 2-year Legislative session. The first months of 2026 will be focused on reviewing outstanding legislation, floating new ideas, and processing the final budget proposal. 

She also shared an overview of the results from the 2025 legislative session, which resulted in 917 bills being moved forward for the Governor’s consideration. Of those, 794 were signed into law, and 123 were vetoed. 

a.	Legislative Items for Review
i.	For Consideration Bills
At this time, there are no bills up for consideration. Ms. Viramontes-Nhan encouraged members to reach out to her if they have any questions about the suitability of a bill for SILC tracking or would like a bill to be considered. 

ii.	Watchlist Bills
There are five bills that failed the 2025 legislative deadline and have been placed back on the SILC watchlist for action in 2026. 
•	AB 315 (Bonta) Medi-Cal: Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver. 
•	AB 517 (Krell) Medi-Cal: complex rehabilitation technology: wheelchairs. 
•	AB 804 (Wicks) Medi-Cal: housing support services. 
•	AB 1161 (Harabedian) Public social services: state of emergency or health emergency. 
•	SB 84 (Niello) Disability access: construction-related accessibility claims: notice of violation and opportunity to correct. 

Ms. Fitzgerald asked about SB707 (Durazo) Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements, and Ms. Viramontes-Nhan confirmed that it passed in 2025. 

b.	Legislative Items for Consideration from SILC Members
Ms. Hayes recommended that the SILC add SB837 (Reyes) Disaster and Emergency Preparedness, which would add an unfunded mandate for Aging and Disability Resource Connections (ADRC) to address Emergency Preparedness. This will be on the “For Consideration Bills” list at the next meeting. 

c.	Current Events and Updates
Mr. Alas Bucton shared information about the “Fight for Us” press conference, targeting finance committees to provide information about the impacts of Medicaid Cuts. He also shared information about several watch parties for the release of the 2026 California budget.  

d.	Discussion on National Topics
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan reported that the SILC has been following the U.S. Department of Energy rulemaking on standards newly constructed and altered buildings must follow to be considered accessible. The comment period gathered a significant number of adverse comments, resulting in a delay of the effective date to March 9, 2026, so they can consider these comments. 

Ms. Viramontes-Nhan shared some background on the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called CalFresh and managed by the Department of Social Services (CDSS) in California. Until recently the Federal Government paid all CalFresh benefit costs, but changes in law may soon require California to pay a portion of those costs. Additionally, the federal administration has said it may withhold SNAP benefits from states that do not provide certain personal data about recipients. This is being litigated, and the federal government has been ordered to not stop payments while the case is ongoing. DSS will be reporting later in this meeting about how the C and C Committee can assist in coordinating statewide communication on issues like this. 

8.	 Update on Request to Add Infographic/Accessible Visualizer for Communication and Collaboration Committee Information
This item is on hold and will be removed from the agenda until there is progress. 

9.	 Advocacy and Collaborations – Request from Members or Partner Organizations
a.	California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Guidance on the Federal Administration’s Threats to Withhold SNAP Aid from Certain States
Ms. Ramsey shared that this presentation will focus on H.R. 1 and coming changes to the CalFresh program, because it is hard to speculate on what other federal-level activities might have an impact. The SNAP program is currently fully funded through the end of FY2026. 

Ms. Silva shared background on H.R.1, which makes historic changes to CalFresh and Medicaid. It is expected that funding for SNAP will be cut by $1.7 to $3.7 Billion annually, with as many as 400,000 Californians potentially losing access to CalFresh. CDSS has been creating a framework on how to implement these policy changes, following four principles:
1.	Mitigate harm whenever possible
2.	Continuous improvement
3.	Evidence-based decision making
4.	Engaging transparently

She shared details on the five main changes based on H.R. 1.

CalFresh Healthy Living, nationally known as SNAP Ed, has been eliminated. CDSS has 300 partners statewide who carry out that work, and they have been working to document the institutional knowledge to help implement programs if funds become available.

H.R. 1 mandates that the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the lowest cost of four food plans created by the USDA, remains cost neutral. This means that there will be no adjustments based on food prices or nutrition guidelines. They have published guidance on this, effective October 1, 2025. The benefit allotments for households of nine or more people have been reduced, and the benefits for households of 18 or more people have been capped. 

H.R. 1 Limits the automatic application of the Standard Utility Allowance, which will result in 18,000 people losing CalFresh eligibility and 444,000 people will see a reduction in benefits. Guidance for this was published in All County Letter 25-68 on September 18, 2025, and the change was effective starting November 1, 2025. 

H.R. 1 limits the eligibility of non-citizens who are eligible for CalFresh, with the most significant limitations on humanitarian eligibility groups. It is expected that 74,000 Californians will lose access. Guidance for this was published in All County Letter 25-92 on December 31, 2025. The changes will be applicable to new cases beginning on April 1, 2026, and to existing cases when they are recertified.  

There have been several changes to the rules for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD), which have in the past been defined as CalFresh recipients aged 18 through 54 who are able‑bodied, do not have dependents up to age 18, and do not meet any exemption criteria. They estimate that because of this, about 300,000 Californians are at risk of losing benefits. This is relevant to people with disabilities because those who face barriers to work, such as a disability, can be exempt from the 20-hour work requirement. They are developing materials to help recipients handle this system. These changes have been detailed on All County Letter No.25-93, published December 31, 2025, and will be applicable to new cases beginning on June 1, 2026, and to existing cases when they are recertified. 

Ms. Silva also shared funding structure changes, including an increase in California’s administrative cost share from 50% to 75%, and the responsibility for the states to pay a share of any costs associated with their payment errors. This could be up to $2 billion. 

Ms. Ramsey summarized that while the policies associated with the H.R. 1 changes are very dense, the main takeaway is that there will be a reduction in access to benefits. California is working hard to minimize these harms as much as possible, but while operating under Federal requirements, it is unable to mitigate all harms. 

Ms. Hayes asked about the types of documentation and requirements that will be required to process an exemption to ABAWD requirements, and Claire Ramsey shared that these are being developed, but they have a strong interest in working with the public to make sure requirements and changes are effectively communicated to the community. Ms. Silva shared that they are working on an interview guide with questions that eligibility workers can use to determine exemptions, and she would like to work with the community to get feedback and input on that process.

They are offering public meetings to give community members an opportunity to give feedback on the implementation of H.R.1. Ms. Silva will share information on these forums by email, and that will then be shared with C and C Members. 

Ms. England invited CDSS to speak to the full SILC at the Council meeting in March. 

b.	Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF)
Ms. Hess shared that planning is moving forward, and the application deadline for delegates is January 31. 

10.	 Summary of Activities Requiring Follow-Up at Next Meeting
a.	Next Meeting February 13, 2026 

11. Adjourn