Legislators are advancing a landmark bill through the Senate, the sole federal legislation dedicated to autism research and services.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions passed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2024 in an overwhelming 20-1 vote. The bill would bookmark $2 billion in federal dollars for autism research and training programs over the next five years.
The Autism CARES Act has been the primary source of federal funding for these services since 2006, but portions of the law are set to expire at the end of September.
“The widespread bipartisan support for this legislation highlights its significance and is a testament to the urgency to reconcile differences at recommended levels for federal autism investments and the current needs of the autism community,” Keith Wargo, president and CEO of Autism Speaks, said in a statement. “The enhancements recently added to the bill provide the opportunity to build upon years of progress under the Autism CARES Act to better support all autistic individuals across the spectrum and lifespan.”
The Autism CARES Act of 2024 would reauthorize existing federal autism programs and expand programming operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dedicated to autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Specifically, the bill would support research on interventions, causes, diagnosis and prevention of autism and co-occurring conditions.
Research continues to unearth new facets of autism spectrum disorder. Recent studies have highlighted how interconnected autism is to other health conditions, how gut microbiome markers could help with early autism diagnoses and that more treatment is not always beneficial to patients.
The bill would also award grants to public or nonprofit groups to expand or develop new education programs that address the health and well-being of people with autism. The bill would require the Comptroller General to write a report examining how to increase the number of developmental-behavioral pediatricians.
Staffing has long plagued the autism therapy industry.
Demand for autism therapy professionals has increased every year since 2010, according to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. An increased number of autism therapy professionals could benefit all segments of the autism industry.
“Not only does this bill emphasize communication and behavioral health needs, it expands research and the development of interventions and services across the lifespan…this bill directs our brightest minds to find new ways to support them,” U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) said in a Senate hearing.
The bill’s language is inclusive of “the full range” of the autism spectrum and specifies that research should be conducted for people who are unable or limited in their ability to communicate. It also would require the creation of annual budgets outlining strategic directions and needs.
