Ocean County Leader

New comprehensive legislation (HR 7213) to combat autism authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) won unanimous support this week as the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted (42-0) to send the bill to the House Floor for consideration and passage.

Smith’s bill—the Autism CARES Act of 2024—would provide more than $2.1 billion over five years to reauthorize and strengthen the United States’ whole-of-government Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) initiative through 2029.

“This critical legislation will make a huge difference for the 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults with autism in the United States by providing robust funding for durable remedies and early intervention work to combat autism,” said Smith, who has authored four major autism laws to date.

“My bill will also expand research efforts into the many issues encountered by individuals with autism and their caregivers as they age to help ensure they can access the education and services they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives—especially as they ‘age-out’ of school-based programs,” Smith said.

Smith’s legislation has already received strong support from the nation’s leading autism advocacy groups, including Autism Speaks, the Autism Society of America, the Autism Science Foundation, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

Specifically, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2024 would:

· Increase authorization levels for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Developmental Disabilities Surveillance and Research Programs from $23 million to $28 million annually;

· Increase authorization levels for autism education, early detection, and intervention from $50 million to $56 million annually at the Department of Health and Human Services;

· Increase authorization levels for the Autism Coordinating Committee from $296 million to $341 million annually;

· Expand the scope of research areas to include the full life course of autism spectrum disorder and issues encountered by individuals and caregivers as they age;

· Direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure research reflects the entire population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, including cognitive, communicative, behavioral, adaptive functioning aspects, co-occurring conditions, and needs for supports and services necessary for physical safety.

Smith has been a steadfast champion for the autism community for decades. He stepped up his involvement on autism in 1997 when Bobbie and Billy Gallagher—parents of two small children with autism—from Brick walked into his Ocean County office looking for help. They believed their town had a disproportionate number of students with autism.

In response, Smith brought federal agencies to Ocean County for an investigation—which found that autism prevalence rates were high not only in Brick but in nearby communities as well—and authored the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology Act. This act was incorporated as Title I of the Children’s Health Act of 2000 authorizing grants and contracts for collecting data on autism and pervasive developmental disabilities.

###