Centers for Independent Living & State Independent Living Services — ACF Grants Under the Rehabilitation Act

The U.S. has more than 400 Centers for Independent Living (CILs) — community-based, consumer-controlled nonprofit organizations run by and for people with significant disabilities. These Centers provide services designed not to treat or rehabilitate, but to enable people with disabilities to live independently in the community on their own terms. The federal grants that fund them flow through Title VII, Chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. §§ 796–796e-3), administered by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within HHS, and implemented at 45 CFR Part 1329.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

The independent living philosophy embedded in Title VII is fundamentally different from earlier disability policy: it starts from the premise that people with disabilities are the experts on their own lives and needs, and that the goal of services is not clinical improvement but the ability to live where you choose and direct your own affairs. The movement grew out of the 1970s disability rights community, centered at the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, California, and was codified in federal law in 1978.

Part 1329 governs two interconnected programs:

State Independent Living Services (SILS) — Part B: Formula grants to states, which designate a State Entity (DSE) to manage the money. States must establish a Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) — a majority-disability-controlled advisory council — that develops a State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) in partnership with the DSE and Centers. The SPIL is a 3-year planning document that sets priorities for the state's independent living network. Part B funds may support Center operations (up to 30% of state Part B funds), SILC resource plans, and statewide independent living services not delivered through Centers.

Centers for Independent Living — Part C: Direct grants to individual CILs, allocated through a formula based on the state's SPIL priorities. Centers must be private nonprofits with majority governance and staffing by people with disabilities — the consumer-control requirement is what distinguishes CILs from traditional disability service agencies. Centers provide five core services required by statute: (1) information and referral; (2) independent living skills training; (3) peer counseling; (4) individual and systems advocacy; and (5) transition services (from nursing facilities to community living, from school to adult life, or other major life transitions).

Key Provisions

• § 1329.2 — Purpose: Title VII promotes a philosophy of independent living including consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and systems advocacy — these are not aspirational, they are operative standards for how funded programs must function
• § 1329.4 — Definitions: the "DSE" (Designated State Entity) is the state agency or entity responsible for receiving and disbursing Part B funds; the SILC must be established separately from the DSE and must not be an entity within or part of any agency providing services to people with disabilities; this structural separation prevents service-delivery agencies from controlling the planning process
• § 1329.5 — Indicators of minimum compliance: Centers must meet specific minimum compliance standards covering: consumer control (board majority); provision of the five core services; independent operation (not a component of a rehabilitation facility, health care facility, or educational institution); focus on individuals with significant disabilities who do not require medical services; financial accountability; rights advocacy; community integration focus
• § 1329.10 — Authorized uses of Part B funds: up to 30% of Part B funds may be used to support the SILC resource plan; remaining Part B funds must be used for Independent Living Services to individuals or statewide capacity-building; funds may not supplant existing state appropriations for independent living services — additionality is required
• § 1329.13 — Allotment formula: Part B state allotments are computed based on a statutory formula incorporating state population; states with fewer people do not receive less than a minimum floor amount
• § 1329.14 — SILC establishment: to be eligible for Part B funds, each state must establish and maintain a SILC; the SILC must have a majority of members who are people with disabilities (not disability service agency staff); a state unit on aging representative must be a member; the SILC chair must be a person with a disability; the SILC must not be established within or be controlled by the DSE
• § 1329.15 — SILC duties: the SILC develops and monitors the SPIL in partnership with the DSE; monitors the use of Part B and Part C funds statewide; reviews and submits annual performance reports; and advocates for broad systemic changes that promote independent living for people with disabilities across the state
• § 1329.20 — CIL funding allocation: Part C funds within each state are distributed to Centers based on the SPIL's design for the statewide network; the state SILC and DSE play a role in planning which areas are served; where an existing Center is in good standing, it continues to receive funding without competition; new Centers must compete for funding through competitive awards
• § 1329.21 — Continuation awards: established CILs in good standing receive continuation grants without competing; competitive replacement is reserved for new geographic areas or for failing Centers
• § 1329.22 — Competitive awards for new CILs: when new Part C funding is available or a Center is terminated, new Centers compete based on the SPIL priorities; the state must use a competitive process that ensures the winning applicant is an entity with consumer control capacity
• § 1329.23 — Compliance reviews: ACL conducts periodic on-site compliance reviews of Centers; reviews assess governance (consumer control), services (all five core services), financial management, community integration focus, and data collection; a Center that fails compliance risks a corrective action plan, funding reduction, or termination
• § 1329.5 — Transition services (fifth core service): CILs must provide transition services — assistance to people moving from nursing facilities, group homes, or other institutions into the community; and assistance to youth with disabilities transitioning from school to adult life; transition became the fifth required core service under the WIOA amendments to the Rehabilitation Act (2014)

How It Affects You

If you are a person with a disability: Your local Center for Independent Living is one of the few places where the staff and leaders are primarily people with disabilities themselves. You don't need a clinical referral or a specific disability type — CILs serve anyone with a significant disability. Services are typically free or low-cost. Core services include: peer counseling (talking to someone with a disability who has navigated similar challenges, not a clinical therapist); independent living skills training (managing personal care attendants, using adaptive technology, budgeting, cooking, navigating benefits systems); information and referral to community resources; advocacy (both individual advocacy — helping you fight a wrongful benefits denial — and systems advocacy — pushing for accessible transportation, housing, or infrastructure at the community level); and transition services if you are trying to leave a nursing facility or group home and live in the community. To find your local CIL: the ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) maintains a searchable directory at ilru.org/programs/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory.

If you are a nursing facility resident who wants to return to the community: CILs are specifically funded to support nursing facility transition — helping you find accessible housing, establish a personal care attendant relationship, connect with community-based long-term services and supports (Medicaid HCBS waivers), and navigate the practical logistics of leaving institutional care. This is one of the most impactful CIL functions and is backed by federal rights: the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision (1999) established that unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is discrimination under the ADA; states must offer community-based alternatives when appropriate. CILs are often the organizations that make Olmstead rights real for individuals.

If you are a disability advocate or policy professional: The SILC in your state is the body that develops the State Plan for Independent Living — the document setting priorities for how both Part B and Part C funds are used across your state. SILC meetings are public and the SPIL development process includes public comment periods. SILCs have a mandate for systems advocacy — pushing for statewide policy changes — and often weigh in on Medicaid managed care rules, accessible transportation plans, affordable housing policy, and other disability-relevant state decisions. The ACL's website (acl.gov) publishes SPIL submissions and SILC rosters by state.

If you are a state VR or disability services administrator: Part 1329 requires the DSE and SILC to cooperate in SPIL development but maintains structural independence — the SILC cannot be housed within or controlled by the DSE. The CIL network is designed to be independent of the service system it advocates for, which creates inherent tension with state rehabilitation agencies. State VR agencies' relationship with CILs ranges from highly collaborative (joint transition planning, cross-referral) to adversarial (when CILs advocate for policy changes that affect VR program operations).

Legal Authority

See also: Statutory Authority below.

The Centers for Independent Living program derives its authority from Title VII, Chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as substantially amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. Administration was transferred from the Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within HHS. The implementing regulation is 45 CFR Part 1329. ACL's general rulemaking authority rests on 29 U.S.C. § 709.

Key Mechanics

The CIL/SILS system operates through two parallel funding streams:

1. Part B — Formula grants to states: ACL allocates funds to states using a population-based formula with a minimum floor. The Designated State Entity (DSE) receives and disburses the money according to the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). Up to 30% of Part B funds may support the SILC resource plan; the remainder funds independent living services and statewide capacity-building. Funds may not supplant existing state appropriations.

2. Part C — Direct grants to Centers: ACL awards grants to individual CILs based on the statewide network design in the SPIL. Existing CILs in good standing receive continuation awards without competition; new geographic areas or failing Center replacements go through a competitive process. Each CIL must be a private nonprofit with a majority of board members and staff who are people with disabilities (the consumer-control requirement).

SILC oversight loop: The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) — independently constituted, majority-disability-controlled — co-develops the SPIL with the DSE, monitors both Part B and Part C expenditures statewide, submits annual performance reports to ACL, and advocates for systemic policy changes. The SILC must not be housed within or controlled by the DSE or any service-delivery agency, preserving its independence as a watchdog and planning body.

ACL compliance reviews: ACL conducts periodic on-site reviews of CILs assessing consumer control, provision of all five core services, financial management, community integration focus, and data collection. Non-compliance triggers corrective action plans, funding reductions, or termination.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 29 U.S.C. §§ 796–796a — Title VII, Chapter 1, General Provisions (declaration of purpose; consumer control principle)
• 29 U.S.C. §§ 796e–796e-3 — Part B: State Independent Living Services (state allotments, SILC requirements, SPIL)
• 29 U.S.C. §§ 796f–796f-6 — Part C: Centers for Independent Living (CIL standards, consumer control, core services, funding)
• 29 U.S.C. § 709 — RSA/ACL general rulemaking authority under the Rehabilitation Act

Recent Rulemakings

No major amendments to Part 1329 listed in recent Federal Register cites. The most significant statutory change in recent decades was the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, which transferred administration of Part B and Part C from the Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration to ACL within HHS, added transition services as the fifth required core service, and strengthened SILC independence requirements. The 2014 WIOA amendments required Part 1329 to be updated to reflect the ACL transfer and the new transition services mandate.

Pending Action

No pending rulemaking notices for 45 CFR Part 1329 appear in recent Unified Agenda filings. Legislative activity to watch: periodic reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) — which governs the Rehabilitation Act Title VII programs — could affect CIL funding formulas, consumer-control standards, or ACL's administrative role. Disability advocates have also sought increased Part C funding levels through appropriations, as base grant amounts have remained relatively flat relative to the growth in the number of CILs seeking funding.