Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants or cooperative agreements to provide technical assistance to state agencies to conduct applied autism research.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2421 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2421
To amend the Public Health Service Act to combat autism through
research, screening, intervention and education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2005
Mrs. Bono (for herself and Ms. DeGette) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to combat autism through
research, screening, intervention and education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Autism Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) Surveillance Program; Centers of Excellence; Clearinghouse.--
Section 102(e) of the Children's Health Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4b)
is amended by striking ``There are authorized'' and all that follows
and inserting the following: ``For the purpose of carrying out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2006 and each subsequent fiscal year.''.
(b) Additional Programs.--Title III of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof the
following:
``PART R--PROGRAMS RELATING TO AUTISM
``SEC. 399AA. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION RELATING TO AUTISM.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and implement a
program to provide information and education on autism and its risk
factors to health professionals and the general public, including
information and education on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of
autism and training and continuing education through programs for
scientists, physicians, and other health professionals who provide care
for patients with autism. The program shall place special emphasis on
early identification of autism and those at risk for autism and prompt
referral for appropriate services.
``(b) Stipends.--The Secretary may use amounts made available under
this section to provide stipends for health professionals who are
enrolled in training programs under this section.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2007 through 2011.
``SEC. 399BB. INTERAGENCY AUTISM COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a committee to
be known as the `Autism Coordinating Committee' (in this section
referred to as the `Committee') to coordinate all efforts within the
Department of Health and Human Services concerning autism, including
activities carried out through the National Institutes of Health and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the amendments
made by the National Autism Research Act.
``(b) Membership.--
``(1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of--
``(A) the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention;
``(B) the Directors of such national research
institutes of the National Institutes of Health as the
Secretary determines appropriate;
``(C) the heads of such other agencies as the
Secretary determines appropriate; and
``(D) the additional members appointed under
paragraph (2) (if any).
``(2) Additional members.--If determined appropriate by the
Secretary, the Secretary may appoint to the Committee--
``(A) individuals with autism or other pervasive
developmental disorders;
``(B) parents or legal guardians of individuals
with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders;
``(C) representatives of leading autism research
and service organizations; and
``(D) representatives of other governmental
agencies that serve children with autism such as the
Department of Education.
``(c) Administrative Support; Terms of Services; Other
Provisions.--The following shall apply with respect to the Committee:
``(1) The Committee shall receive necessary and appropriate
administrative support from the Secretary.
``(2) Members of the Committee appointed under subsection
(b)(2)(A) shall serve for a term of 3 years, and may serve for
an unlimited number of terms if reappointed.
``(3) The Committee shall meet not less than 2 times each
year.
``SEC. 399CC. SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF AUTISM; MEDICAL
CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM.
``(a) Statewide Autism Screening, Diagnosis, and Intervention
Programs and Systems.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall award grants or cooperative agreements to
eligible entities to develop statewide autism screening,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems for the
purposes described in paragraph (2).
``(2) Purposes.--The purposes described in this paragraph
are the following:
``(A) To develop and monitor the efficacy of
statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention
programs and systems, ensuring that all children are
screened for autism before their second birthday, and
that children at risk for autism receive appropriate
services as early as possible. Intervention includes
referral to schools and agencies, including community,
consumer, and parent-based agencies, and organizations
and other programs mandated by part C of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which
offer programs specifically designed to meet the unique
needs of children with autism.
``(B) To collect data on statewide autism
screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and
systems that can be used for applied research, program
evaluation, and policy development.
``(C) To provide comprehensive medical care for
individuals with autism through evidence-based
practices, with specific attention to medical
conditions that may be associated with autism, and to
disseminate information on the medical care of
individuals with autism to health professionals and the
general public. In carrying out the program under this
paragraph, a grant shall be awarded to a national
organization that will establish and support regional
centers of clinical excellence to provide medical care
to individuals with autism and promote research aimed
at improving the treatment of such individuals, and
that will build a shared national medical database to
record the results of treatments and studies at the
regional centers.
``(3) Parental consent.--Screenings and other services
available under this section for a child may not be provided
without the consent of a parent or legal guardian of the child.
``(4) Set aside of funds.--From amounts appropriated under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall set-aside not less than
$4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry
out activities described in paragraph (2)(C).
``(b) Technical Assistance, Data Management, and Applied
Research.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants or cooperative
agreements to provide technical assistance to State agencies to conduct
applied research related to autism screening, diagnosis, and
intervention programs and systems. In carrying out this section the
Secretary shall develop standardized procedures for data management and
program effectiveness and costs, including procedures--
``(1) to ensure quality monitoring of autism screening,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems;
``(2) to provide technical assistance on data collection
and management;
``(3) to study the costs and effectiveness of autism
screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems
conducted by State-based programs in order to address issues of
importance to State and national policymakers;
``(4) to identify the causes and risk factors for autism;
``(5) to study the effectiveness of autism screening,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems by assessing
the intellectual and social development, cognitive status, and
language skills of children with autism at school age; and
``(6) to promote the sharing of data regarding autism with
State-based birth defects and developmental disabilities
monitoring programs and environmental discharge monitoring
programs of the Environmental Protection Agency for the purpose
of identifying previously unknown causes of and risk factors
for autism.
``(c) Coordination and Collaboration.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out programs under this
section, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and the Director of the National Institutes of
Health shall collaborate and consult with--
``(A) other Federal, State and local agencies,
including those responsible for early intervention
services pursuant to title XIX of the Social Security
Act (particularly the Medicaid Early and Periodic
Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program), title XXI
of the Social Security Act (State Children's Health
Insurance Program), title V of the Social Security Act
(Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program), and
part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act;
``(B) consumer groups of, and that serve,
individuals with autism and their families;
``(C) appropriate national medical and other health
and education specialty organizations;
``(D) individuals with autism and their families;
``(E) other qualified personnel who possess the
specialized knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to
serve autistic children and their families; and
``(F) related commercial industries.
``(2) Policy development.--The Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Director of
the National Institutes of Health shall coordinate and
collaborate on recommendations for policy development at the
Federal and State levels and with the private sector, including
consumer, medical, and other health and education professional-
based organizations, with respect to autism screening,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems.
``(3) State early detection, diagnosis, and intervention
programs and systems.--The Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall coordinate and
collaborate in assisting States to establish autism screening,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems under
subsection (a) and to develop a data collection system under
subsection (b).
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated--
``(1) to carry out subsection (a), $75,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2007 through 2011; and
``(2) to carry out subsection (b), $25,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
``SEC. 399DD. ANNUAL REPORT ON AUTISM.
``(a) In General.--Not later than January 1, 2006, and each January
1 thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress, a report concerning the implementation of this
part.
``(b) Contents.--The report, utilizing uniform reporting methods
and procedures, shall--
``(1) provide the dollar amount that each institute of the
National Institutes of Health expended on autism research in
the year for which the report was prepared; and
``(2) detail the progress and success of the National
Institutes of Health in implementing and funding the
recommendations contained in the Autism Research Roadmap and
Matrix of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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