Local Volunteer Advisory Committees are one of the most practical, community-led tools we have to make SDP real, especially for people who are trying to navigate this needlessly complicated system.
SDI Executive Director Kristianna Moralls: public comment from the Senate hearing
Want the clearest example of what’s at stake? Watch Kristianna Moralls’ public comment from the Senate hearing. Her remarks connect the budget language to real life. They explain why this is not just an administrative issue. It is about whether people in disparity communities keep getting direct support to access and stay in SDP.
Watch the video:
“SDP is life-changing. LVAC funds are direct services for disparity groups. DDS has a fiduciary duty to prioritize direct services over admin, and DDS still lacks a real plan to address inequities if those funds are redirected.”
On May 28, 2026, the California Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services included an agenda item that matters for your SDP community: continued funding for Local Volunteer Advisory Committees (LVACs) through trailer bill and budget actions tied to SDP administrative costs.
The proposal, in plain English
1) Reappropriate unspent LVAC funding from 2023–24
The proposal would modify/reappropriate LVAC funds that were approved before but not fully spent in 2023–24.
This matters because unspent funds can “expire” if they aren’t reauthorized. Reappropriation is a way to keep them available for their intended purpose.
2) Extend the encumbrance period for 2024–25 and 2025–26 LVAC funds
It also proposes extending the encumbrance period for LVAC funds from:
- 2024–25
- 2025–26
“Encumbrance” is budget-speak for when funds are formally committed (like through agreements or contracts). If the timeline is too short, even good programs can lose money simply because the clock ran out.
3) Continue LVAC funding: ~$4.3M total to keep $1M/year going (and allow up to $1M/year after)
This is the big one for your community.
The agenda item proposes to allow approximately $4.3 million to support continued LVAC funding at:
- $1 million per year for 2026–27 through 2029–30
- And allow up to $1 million each year thereafter
That’s a roadmap for stability. LVACs can plan. Communities can keep building. New SDP participants can keep learning from peers.
Thank you, Senator Menjivar (and keep the support coming)
Take a moment to thank Senator Menjivar for her amazing support. Senator Caroline Menjivar chairs Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services. Continued LVAC funding doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because legislators choose to protect the community infrastructure that makes SDP possible.
Take 60 seconds and send a thank-you email. Keep it short. Keep it real.
Email Senator Menjivar:
Copy/paste email you can use
Subject: Thank you for supporting LVAC funding for SDP
Hi Senator Menjivar,
Thank you for supporting continued funding for Local Volunteer Advisory Committees (LVACs) in the Self-Determination Program. LVACs have helped me/my family/my community by: [one sentence personal example].
Please continue to protect LVAC funding so more people can access SDP with real support.
Thank you,
[Your name + regional center]
Why LVAC funding is an equity issue (not “extra”)
LVACs are where you see real-world problem solving happen. Participants and their family members from the communities that are underserved are the best ones to know what supports they need!
LVAC Funding has provided:
- accessible outreach
- community education
- training
- facilitation supports
- participant oversight
We aren't there YET!! We still need support from the Assembly!!
Dr. Corey Jackson: “Hold the line” on equity, training, and facilitation
Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson put it plainly in public comments: you can’t “solve” equity by deleting the words.
In this clip, he opposes removing language related to equity goals, training, and facilitation. He also acknowledges the current equity model isn’t working the way it should, but says giving up isn’t an option.
Here’s the moment that really landed with our community. Paraphrased from his remarks:
He’s not okay with stripping out equity/training/facilitation language. The current model isn’t working, but quitting isn’t an option. He wants to “hold the line” because right now the well-resourced and well-connected are benefiting, while others are left out.
Watch the clip here:
Email Dr. Jackson and tell him you support his comments and ask him to keep the funds with the community that needs the support.
Action: Email Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson with your LVAC story
We’re continuing to ask our community to email Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson.
He asked for a better way to achieve equity without giving up. Your story is part of that solution. When you explain what LVAC funds actually do on the ground, you give lawmakers something they can defend in negotiations.
Email Dr. Corey Jackson:
What to include (keep it simple)
In 3–5 sentences, share:
- Which LVAC you attend (or which region you’re in)
- What LVAC support helped you do (training, outreach, understanding SDP, problem-solving)
- Who benefited (you, your family, your community: especially underserved groups)
- What you want protected: continued LVAC funding