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Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities to Meet in Austin, Texas on April 22-23, 2025

The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) welcomes all Texans to join us for our quarterly meeting on April 22-23, 2025, at the North Austin Complex Building in Austin, Texas. The complex location is adjacent to the Capital Metro bus stop for buses 801 and 803.

Attendees have the options of joining the meeting in person or virtually. To participate virtually, registration through the Zoom links below for each day is required.

April 22 & 23, 2025

Tuesday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

North Austin Complex Building

4601 W. Guadalupe St.

NAC Room 1.401-1.404

Austin, TX 78751

Zoom Links:

April 22: https://txgov-us.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_wSwaiPlzScauf8SgBlUpHw     

April 23: https://txgov-us.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_A-xMXL13S9qqyJ679ZI6Yg

A public meeting of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities will be conducted under Texas Government Code Section 551.127, related to meetings involving members joining by videoconference call. It is the intent of the Committee to have the chairperson present in Austin, Texas. This location will be open to the public during the open portions of the meeting. Other members of the Committee will join by videoconference from separate locations.

Members of the public will also have access to a live audiovisual stream of the meeting in addition to the option to be physically present at the location. The Committee will record the video and audio of the meeting and make the recording available upon request. For questions, contact (512) 463-5739 or email [email protected].

To provide public comment related to disability related topics during the designated public comment time, you can choose to speak directly to the committee or email [email protected] in advance a brief written testimony addressed to the committee. GCPD does not accept registration for public comment until the day of the meeting. If you wish to give public comment in-person, please sign in at the registration table. For others who will be participating virtually, Zoom has a Q&A tool that you can use at the beginning of the meeting to state your intention to make public comment.

All available meeting materials will be posted at: https://gov.texas.gov/organization/disabilities/committee-meetings

In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, the meeting agenda is posted in the Texas Register on the Secretary of State’s website

April 22, 2025

1. Call to Order/ Roll Call and Introductions (begin recording), Ellen Bauman, Chair

2. Approval of Committee Member Absences as Submitted (Discussion/Possible Action)
3. Approval of Summary Minutes for January 2025 (Discussion/Possible Action)
4. Election of GCPD Vice Chair, Ellen Bauman, Chair
5. Listening to the Austin Disability Community
   1. Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (Austin)
   2. Austin Civil Rights Office Fair Housing Act Issues and Best Practices – Enrique Serrano, Equal Employment Fair Housing Manager
   3. Austin Resource Center for Independent Living (ARCIL) – Del “Don” Martinez, Deputy Director
   4. Travis County Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services – Emily Broadway, Lead Case Manager

BREAK

6. Public Comment

(3 minutes per presentation)

7. Reports from Invited Ex Officio Agency Representatives, includes follow up topics from previous meetings (Discussion/Possible Action)
8. Department of Family and Protective Services – Brock Boudreau
9. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – Marsha Godeaux
10. Texas Education Agency – Elyse Lieberman
11. Texas Workforce Commission – Claudia Peden
12. Health and Human Services Commission – Clair Benitez
13. State Independent Living Council – Janet Sharkis

LUNCH

8. Electric Vehicle Chargers and Accessible Parking – Marsha Godeaux, Texas Dept of Licensing and Regulation

9. Update on Special Education Language Acquisition Report – Elyse Lieberman, TEA

10. Special Education Software Programs – MacMichael Henson-Rogers & Shannon Naber, Frontline Education

11. ASL Interpreter Subcommittee Report and Recommendations – Matt Dickens & Alaina Webb

BREAK

12. Executive Director Report
13. Update on 89^th Texas Legislature and Bills of Interest – Rebecca Lopez
14. GCPD Staff Activities – Ron Lucey
15. GCPD Subcommittee and Workgroup Reports
    1. Guardianship Subcommittee – Ellen Bauman
    2. Backup Power DME Taskforce – Ron Lucey

13. Recess – Ellen Bauman, Chair

16. Reconvene – Ellen Bauman, Chair
17. Roll Call / Committee Member Absences
18. Public Comment (3 minutes per presentation
19. GCPD Administrative Policy Recommendations and Recommendations to the 90^th Legislature (Discussion/Possible Action)

BREAK

20. Policy Discussion from Past Public Comment, Discussions, and Meetings
21. Individual Member Reports on Outreach (Discussion)
22. Future Agenda Items and Meeting (Discussion/Possible Action)
23. Adjournment – Ellen Bauman, Chair

Notice of Assistance at Public Meetings

The Committee will provide Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) and American Sign Language Interpretation for this meeting. Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as materials in an alternate format, contact the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities at least five (5) working days prior to the meeting. 512-463-5739. Use the Relay Option of Your Choice. E-mail: [email protected]

The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source.

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