Communication and Collaboration Committee Meeting
February 13, 2026
DRAFT Meeting Minutes

Action items: 
•	Ms. Viramontes-Nhan will remove all Assembly bills and add SB837 to the SILC Legislative Watchlist. 
•	Ms. Viramontes-Nhan will share the articles on Texas v. Kennedy. 

1.	 Call to Order 

2.	 Introductions
Meleana Chun-Moy – SILC Member/C and C Vice-Chair
Chris Fitzgerald – SILC Member/C and C Member
Susan Rotchy – SILC Member/SPIL Member/Executive Director, Independent Living Center of Solano and Contra Costa County (ILCSCC) 
Sarah Harris – Chief, Independent Living, Assistive Technology, and Traumatic Brain Injury Section (ILATS), Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)
Kevin Hansen – Grant Administrator, DOR 
Mike Valencia – Grant Administrator, DOR 
Allison Viramontes-Nhan – SILC Legislative Specialist
Danielle Hess – SILC Office Manager

3.	 Public Comment
None

4.	 SILC Member Updates
None

5.	 Approval of the Draft Minutes from January 9, 2026, Communication and Collaboration Committee Meeting
Ms. Chun-Moy motioned for approval of the Draft Minutes from January 19, 2026, and Ms. Fitzgerald seconded the motion. This passed unanimously through a roll call vote.

6.	 Legislation Update
a.	Legislative Items for Review
i.	For Consideration Bills
SB 837 (Reyes) Disaster and emergency preparedness. STATUS: 1/29/26 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

Ms. Viramontes-Nhan reviewed this bill, which charges the Aging and Disability Resource Connections (ADRC) with providing disaster and emergency preparedness training specifically designed to help older adults and people with disabilities prepare for emergencies and ensure their safety before, during, and after natural disasters and other emergency events.

Ms. Rotchy motioned to add SB837 to the SILC Legislative Watchlist, and Ms. Fitzgerald seconded the motion. This passed unanimously through a roll call vote.

ii.	Watchlist Bills
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan reported that all the Assembly Bills on the watchlist failed to meet deadlines for reporting and are inactive. They will be removed from the watchlist. 

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. STATUS: 2/2/26 Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
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. STATUS: 6/18/25 From Committee with author’s amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

b.	Discussion on National Topics
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan shared information on Texas v. Beccera, which has been withdrawn. Several states are now moving forward with Texas v. Kennedy, which argues that the “integration mandate” of Section 504 is beyond the scope of the rule. She will be sharing articles from the Disability Scoop and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) with C and C members after this meeting to provide additional context on what is happening.  

7.	 Advocacy and Collaborations – Request from Members or Partner Organizations
a.	Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF)
Ms. Hess shared that she will be working on the Logistics for YLF 2026, and she is waiting for the Program Workgroup to communicate what they need. The Delegate Application period has ended, and volunteers are reviewing applications and interviewing potential delegates. Staff applications will be released later in the Spring. She asked anyone who is interested in volunteering to reach out to her. 

8.	 Summary of Activities Requiring Follow-Up at Next Meeting
a.	Next Meeting April 10, 2026

9. Adjourn