SILC Congress 2000

[ Regional Representatives ]
[ Resolutions ]

Regional Representatives

Region 1 - CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
Guilbert (Gil) Vickery, New Hampshire, 603-228-9680, email:citizen@NCIA.net
Alternate - Andrea Schein, Massachussetts, 617-695-2622 email: aschein@tsbbs02.tnet.com

Region 2 - NY, NJ, VI, PR
Jack Merritt, New Jersey; 973-977-7957, email: JACKSILC@webtv.net

Region 3 - DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV
Ann Meadows, West Virginia, 304-766-4624, email: annwv@citynet.net
Alternate - Kimball Gray, Maryland, 410-319-4455, email: kimball.msilc@gte.net

Region 4 - AL, FLGA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Pat Puckett, Georgia, 770-452-9601, email:silcga@mindspring.com
Alternate - Kimberly Hines, Tennessee, 615-297-2666, email: the-silc@mindspring.com

Region 5 - IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
John Eckert, Illinois, 217-744-7777, email: silc@fgi.net
Alternate(temp) - Dale Block, Wisconsin, 608-261-8397, email: drb@cuttingedge.net

Region 6 - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Jeff Hughes, Oklahoma, 405-744-3996, email: hughejl@okway.okstate.edu

Region 7 - IA, KS, NE MO
Shannon Jones, Kansas, 785-234-6990, email:shanoz@aol.com

Region 8 - CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
Corey Rowley, Utah, 801-463-1683, email: clrowley@uswest.net

Region 9 - AZ, CA, HI, NV
Primary - Cris Clay, California, 209-946-2132, email: cclay@uop.edu

Region 10 - AK, WA, OR, ID
Primary, Patrick Reinhart, Alaska, 907-269-3571, email: Patrick_Reinhart@labor.state.ak.us
Alternate - Kelly Buckland, Idaho, 208-334-3800, email: kbucklan@silc.state.id  

Resolutions

Thirteen Resolutions were considered by the SILC Congress on January 6, 2000.  State delegations casting votes included AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, TX, UT, VT, WA, DC, WV, WI, and WY.  A summary of the action to be taken on each resolution and the voting results are as follows:

Resolution #1
"RSA Settlement" - Submitted by Shannon Jones, Kansas SILC
Statewide Independent Living Councils and their representatives choose not to  reschedule this specific meeting (the meeting scheduled for June 27, 1999 in Washington, DC) and will waive any compensation for the canceled inaccessible meeting hosted by RSA;

Provided RSA agrees to the following:

--all subsequent meetings/trainings hosted by RSA will have agenda items determined by staff and/or board members of CILs and SILCs,
--all subsequent meetings/trainings hosted by RSA will be presented jointly to CILs and SILCs, not at separate times and dates,
--all subsequent meetings/trainings hosted by RSA will take place in an accessible environment and all materials will be produced in accessible formats for all participants,
--all subsequent meetings/trainings hosted by RSA will provide notification of 90 days prior to such meeting directly from RSA to the SILCs and that it not be routed through any other entity.

Passed by a vote of:
  40 - Yes
  2 - No
  3 - Abstain

Resolution #2
"$75 Million Federal Appropriation Increase" - Submitted by Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, Idaho SILC; Ann Meadows, Executive Director, West Virginia SILC; and Corey Rowley, Executive Director, Utah SILC
The 2000 Congress of the Statewide Independent Living Councils endorses a $75 million increase in the Title VII, Part C of the Rehabilitation Act funding and calls upon each Statewide Independent Living Council to actively initiate and participate in activities that will result in this appropriation.

Passed by a vote of:
  44 - Yes
  0 - No
  1 - Abstain

Resolution #3
"SILC Congress Purpose, Composition, and Principles" - Submitted by Marilyn Mitchell, Utah SILC
The SILC Congress convene annually to adopt resolutions that strengthen independent living advocacy activities, provide a forum to establish a unified voice and build collaborative efforts among independent living councils; and
Each Statewide Independent Living Council designate a SILC Congress delegate to participate in the resolution process and to facilitate statewide communication between the SILC Congress and their respective SILC; and
A SILC Congress representative and alternate be elected from each region to provide a communication link for state delegates, to solicit and receive issues from SILCs and SILC members throughout the year; and
The regional representatives constitute the SILC Congress Steering Committee to plan the agenda and arrangements for the annual SILC Congress based on the information received from the state delegates; and
The SILC Congress accept the following guiding principles:
--Resolutions adopted by the SILC Congress embrace independent living philosophy;
--The SILC Congress is a dynamic and interactive forum for SILC delegates;
--A unified voice of independent living councils strengthens advocacy and system change for individuals with disabilities.

Passed by a vote of:
  44 - Yes
  0 - No
  1 - Abstain

Resolution #4
"SILC Peer Support and Technical Assistance" - Submitted by EZ Buchand, Arizona SILC; Maris Parmerten, South Carolina SILC; Rand Stenhjem, Minnesota SILC; and Brad Williams, New York SILC
Each region shall take the responsibility to support their SILC network by offering peer support and technical assistance as requested.

Passed by a vote of:
  43 - Yes
  0 - No
  1 - Abstain

Resolution #5
"State Plan Development by SILCs" - Submitted by Brad Williams, New York SILC
Each SILC shall exercise their authority to develop their State Plan for Independent Living to be reviewed and signed off by the Designated State Unit(s).

Passed by a vote of:
  42 - Yes
  0 - No
  2 - Abstain

Resolution #6
"Distribution of Part C Funds by SPIL" - Submitted by Pat Puckett, Georgia SILC; and the Wisconsin SILC
RSA will work with the staff and board of the SILCs to ensure compliance with each State Plan.

RSA shall use the following steps in disbursement of Title VII, Part C funds:
Step 1:  In accordance with the design for the network of CILs as contained in the State Plan.
Step 2:  Through a compliance grant application process.  Step 2 shall be utilized only as a last resort.

Passed by a vote of:
  38  - Yes
  0 - No
  6 - Abstain

Resolution #7
"Deinstitutionalization" - Submitted by Jeff Hughes, Oklahoma SILC; Region 6 SILC representatives
Once a person is freed from the institution, no person with a disability shall be placed into such institutions against their will having made a fully informed choice.

Passed by unanimous consent after amendment and reconsideration.

Resolution #8
"Empowerment of SILCs" - Submitted by Don Eubanks, Texas SILC; Region 6 SILC representatives 
This resolution dealt with stopping the flow of certain Federal funds to states with SILCs that are not in compliance with the Rehab Act.  There was a great deal of discussion and concern expressed about the withholding of funds and which funds should be withheld.

Defeated by a vote of:
  9 - Yes
  25 - No
  8 - Abstain

Resolution #9
"Dedicated Funding for SILCs" - Submitted by SILC of California, SILC of New York, SILC of Arizona, SILC of Wisconsin, and SILC of Minnesota
That the following steps should be taken to correct this situation (that some SILCs do not have adequate funding):

--First, a dedicated source of federal funding should be established for each SILC being operated in accordance with the Federal Rehabilitation Act and applicable state laws; and

--Secondly, that the funding should be distributed annually and that a minimum level of funding should be established of sufficient size to provide adequate support of SILC operations in all states, territories and District of Columbia; and

--Thirdly, that the annual SILC Congress will appoint a standing SILC Funding Committee that will be charged with the task of drafting a formula that shall be used for distribution of federal funds in accordance with the above concepts, and that this committee shall report on their interim activities at each annual meeting; and

Subsequently, that the SILC Congress 2001 shall consider funding options developed by the SILC Funding Committee and approve the budget change request to be forwarded to the Secretary of Education and other appropriate parties in order to obtain dedicated funding for all SILCs in the United States in the following fiscal year or the earliest opportunity thereafter.

Passed by a vote of:
  42 - Yes
  1 - No
  0 - Abstain

Resolution #10
"Olmstead Implementation Meetings in States" - Submitted by Rob Kilbury, Illinois SILC
We, the SILC Congress 2000 urge the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) and its members to work with the SILCs to convene meetings with Steve Gold and other interested parties to develop transition plans for community living in early 2000.

Passed by a vote of:
  30 - Yes
  9 - No
  3 - Abstain

Resolution #11
"MiCASSA Support" - Submitted by Sandi Weber, Pennsylvania SILC
Each SILC and its members will actively advocate and cooperatively work with groups such as ADAPT, NCIL, Centers for Independent Living, and others, both nationally and locally, to ensure that legislation such as MiCASSA is enacted into federal law; and 
Each individual SILC will make it their personal responsibility to gather each state policies regarding consumer directed services including, but not limited to, the Nurse Practice Act, Home Health Act, and any other statute regulating such services by March 31, 2000 and send to Mike Oxford at Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, 500 SW Jackson, Topeka, Kansas 66603.

Resolution #12
"Youth Leadership" - Submitted by Mark Derry, West Virginia SILC and Region 3 SILC representatives
The 2000 Congress of Statewide Independent Living Councils shall aggressively promote initiatives for youth empowerment and leadership development and calls upon each SILC to develop and financially support strategies to recruit, train, and empower youth to be active participants in every aspect of the Independent Living Movement.

Resolution #13
"Advocacy" - Submitted by Corey Rowley, Utah SILC and Shannon Jones, Kansas SILC
The 2000 SILC Congress calls upon each SILC to ensure that advocacy and systems change and building a statewide grassroots network is an integral part of their state plan.

Ann Meadows, West Virginia SILC
Secretary, Statewide Independent Living Councils
 

The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

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