Executive Committee Meeting
February 26, 2026
DRAFT Meeting minutes

Action Items:
•	SILC Staff will add the Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy to the new member orientation documents. 
•	SILC Staff will add the discussion of the potential rebranding of the Communication and Collaboration (C and C) Committee to the next Governance Committee meeting. 

1.	Call to Order 

2.	Introductions
Susan Rotchy – SILC Member/SPIL Member/Executive Director, Independent Living Center of Solano and Contra Costa County (ILCSCC)
Shannon Coe – SILC Vice Chair
Roque Alas Bucton – Communication and Collaboration Chair
Brandi Bluel – State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) Chair/Executive Director, Resources for Independent Living (RIL)
Chris Fitzgerald – SILC Member
Sarah Harris – Chief, Independent Living, Assistive Technology, and Traumatic Brain Injury Section (ILATS), Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)
Kevin Hansen – Grant Administrator, DOR
Susan Neely – Grant Administrator, DOR
Mike Valencia – Grant Administrator, DOR
Carrie England – SILC Executive Director
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 the January 22, 2026, Executive Committee Meeting
Ms. Bluel motioned for approval of the Draft Minutes from January 22, 2026, and Ms. Coe seconded the motion. This passed unanimously through a roll call vote. 

6.	SILC Operations Updates
a.	Executive Director Updates
Ms. England shared several updates on her activities. The Program Performance Report (PPR), Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM), and quarterly discrimination report have been submitted. The SPIL implementation remains on track. Initial results of the needs assessment will be reviewed at the March 2026 SILC meeting. There is still work happening around getting responses to the Funding Formula and Equity Survey to gain consensus around the next steps.  

She brought up some preliminary strategic questions for the upcoming SPIL, including how the current Systems Change Network Hub, Tier Augmentation Funding, and Transition and Diversion fund would be structured in the upcoming SPIL. Ms. Bluel asked if the SILC could check in with how other states handle Systems Change, and Ms. England clarified that the IL network will need to decide if Systems Change will be prioritized, and then determine how that work will be done. Once that point is reached, she will bring other examples of how systems change work is done. 

Ms. England has been meeting with DOR and the Systems Change Hub Contractor to clarify the roles of each group. One important distinction is that the contractor does not lead statewide policy development, but follows the goals set forward in the SPIL. 

Jose Solorzano has resigned from the SILC, and the Governance Committee will start recruitment for his replacement. There are two SILC candidates that are pending, dependent on their completion of the online application. 

There has been a new member orientation for two members, and the new member orientation manual has been updated. There are two new policies, one on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for note-taking during meetings, and another for SILC member expectations. 

The SILC has renewed its memberships for the National Association of State Independent Living Councils (NASILC) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), but is no longer a member of the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL). She was nominated again for NASILC Region 9 Chair Representative and on their executive committee. They are covering her costs to attend SILC Congress and lead several presentations. She is working with the Administration on Community Living (ACL) to provide a review for the Maine SILC, and is providing guidance and technical assistance to the Texas SILC and Designated State Entity (DSE). 

SILC Staff capacity remains stable, with a workload that is high but manageable. 

b.	Monthly Budget Report
Ms. Hess shared that with the addition of $8,000 to the SILC budget approved by the Executive Committee in January, the SILC is expected to meet all its obligations for this Fiscal year. 

7.	Use of AI Notetaking Tools During Council Meetings
Ms. England shared information on the new AI policy, which will guide the SILC and members in using AI responsibly and as needed. 

Ms. Bluel motioned to approve the new AI notetaking policy, and Mr. Alas Bucton seconded the motion. This passed unanimously through a roll call vote.  

8.	Working Committee Updates
a.	Communication and Collaboration
i.	Legislative Updates
Ms. Viramontes-Nhan shared that the C and C Committee added SB837 to the watch list, which requires Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) programs to provide disaster and emergency preparedness training to older adults. 

Four assembly bills on the SILC watch list failed legislative deadlines, and have been removed from the watch list. 

ii.	Other Committee Updates
Mr. Alas Bucton shared that the committee is following the Texas v. Kennedy case, which argues that the “integration mandate” of Section 504 is beyond the scope of the rule. 

Mr. Alas Bucton also brought up the idea of potentially rebranding the C and C Committee to be more in line with legislative tracking. Ms. England shared some additional information on the goal of the C and C Committee to track legislation and activities with the goal of allowing SILC members to understand the impact of these items on the SPIL. This potential change would need to be brought up in the Governance Committee.  

b.	Governance
The Governance Committee has not held any new meetings since the last SILC meeting, and there are no new updates to report. 

c.	SPIL
i.	2025-2027 SPIL Updates from DOR
1.	Transition and Diversion
There have been 95 diversions and one transition approved. The fund has been fully encumbered.  

2.	Systems Change
The Systems Change Contractor, Marin Center for Independent Living (MCIL), has invoiced $52,963.02 out of the $350,000 allocated to them. DOR is working to add the $26,000 allocated from the last FY to the current year grant. She thanked Ms. England for her support in learning about the SPIL and the IL network. 

3.	Tier Augmentation 
Six grants, with amounts ranging from $43,000 to $291,000, have been awarded to Community Resources for Independent Living, Inc. (CRIL), Disabled Resource Center, Inc. (DRC), FREED Center for Independent Living, Marin Center for Independent Living (MCIL), Service Center for Independent Life (SCIL), and Tri-County Independent Living, Inc. (TCIL). $142,410.52 has been spent to date out of a total of $920,000.

4.	Other DOR Updates
None

9. Future Council Meetings
a.	March 24-25, 2026 (Virtual)
b.	June 16-17, 2026 (Virtual)
c.	October 13-14, 2026 (Virtual)
d.	December 8-9, 2026 (Virtual)

10. Summary of Activities Requiring Follow-Up at Next Meeting
a.	Next Meeting April 23, 2026

11. Adjourn