July 20, 2023
The Department values the contributions of LVAC members and is providing this guidance to support the LVACs in carrying out their responsibilities pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 4685.8(w)(1). The purpose of this directive is to provide clarification on conducting meetings of local volunteer advisory committees and supersedes the August 6, 2015 memo and the July 22, 2022 guidance.
Regional centers and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities should work together to support LVAC members’ and the public’s participation in adherence with the below guidelines. LVACs are invited to provide feedback to [email protected] on the guidelines included in this directive no later than September 30, 2023. This directive is effective through October 31, 2023.
Guidelines for Self-Determination Program Local Volunteer Advisory Committees
LVAC Membership, Attendance, and Voting
- Entities that appoint members to the LVAC are encouraged to fill positions timely.
- Generally, a meeting should be attended by a majority of LVAC members to ensure that LVAC recommendations are informed by the whole committee.
- A majority of members means more than one-half of the members who currently fill LVAC positions. It is not necessary to count vacant positions.
- Generally, the LVAC should not take formal action if there is not a majority of members present to vote. Without a majority of members in attendance, the LVAC may still meet to hear information items, ask the regional center questions about its Self-Determination Program and hear from members of the public.
Meeting Notice Requirements
LVACs should provide its members and members of the public with advance notice of the meeting.
- Notice of meetings should be provided at least 10 days before the
- Meeting notices should be sent to all LVAC members and to members of the public who have provided contact information.
- A copy of the notice should also be posted on the regional center’s website in an easy to find location.
- The meeting notice should include the meeting agenda and provide information about how to obtain disability accommodations and interpretation.
Meeting Agendas
There should be an agenda for each meeting. An agenda helps LVAC members and members of the public understand what will be discussed at the meeting. An agenda should include the following:
- The address of any physical location where the meeting will be
- Information about how to join the meeting using remote meeting technology, if applicable.
- The items to be discussed at the meeting including identification of items the
LVAC plans to discuss or vote on.
- Information about how members of the public can provide public
Location and Accessibility of LVAC Meetings
- Members do not need to participate from the same physical meeting location and any or all members may participate The option of participation through remote technology is encouraged to be available at all meetings.
- All LVAC meetings must be open and accessible to the public and allow for public participation, whether the LVAC is being held in-person and/or by using remote technology.
- To support the participation of the public, interpreters should be provided, as needed, so individuals can participate in their preferred language. LVACs should develop procedures so that they can obtain information about interpretation needs in advance of the meeting.
If LVACs, participants, and/or their families have questions regarding this directive, they should contact their regional center. Questions from regional centers should be directed to [email protected].
Sincerely,
Original signed by
VICKI L. SMITH, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Policy and Program Development Division
This DDS directive may be available in other languages. Here is a link to the DDS website.
