Autism Legislation

Goverment Resources:

www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal
Locate government benefits by keyword, category, state and/or life event. In English and Spanish.

www.de.state.az.us/azeip/
Phone: (602) 542.1000
The Arizona Early Intervention Program, also known as AzEIP (pronounced Ay-zip), is a statewide system of supports and services for families of children, birth to three, with disabilities or developmental delays.

www.de.state.az.us/ddd/
Phone: (800) 352.8168
The DDD supports the choices of individuals with disabilities and their families by promoting and providing, within communities, flexible, quality, consumer-driven services and supports.

www.ahcccs.state.az.us/Services/Programs/ALTCS.asp
Phone: (800) 654.8713
The Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) program supports individuals who need long-term care and ongoing services.

www.acdl.com
Phone: (602) 274.6287
The Arizona Center for Disability Law advocates for the legal rights of persons with disabilities.

www.ade.state.az.us/ess/
Phone: (602) 542.4013
Exceptional Student Services promotes the development and implementation of quality education for students with disabilities.

State:

Arizona House Bill 2847

In March 2008, Governor Janet Napolitano and the state's legislators enacted House Bill 2847, which will require insurance carriers to provide coverage of evidence-based, medically necessary autism therapies. In many states, insurers explicitly exclude coverage of these therapies from policies, which places a significant financial burden on families seeking to provide their children with necessary services.

The new Arizona law requires insurers to cover up to $50,000 a year for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children until age 9, and $25,000 a year for children until age 16. It covers therapy for children whose diagnoses reflect the full range of the autism spectrum. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Surgeon General, among others, as an effective, evidence-based treatment for children with autism.

The passage of this legislation was the result of a grass-roots advocacy effort led by hundreds of committed families with the support of local and national advocacy organizations, including: the Autism Society of America, Greater Phoenix Chapter; ASA Pima County and Northern Arizona Chapter; Supporting Autism Now through Education (SANE); Asperger Parent Network; Arizona Autism Coalition; Arizona Autism Support; Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Recover Our Kids (ROK), and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), among others.

The legislative effort began as “Steven's Law,” sponsored by Democratic Sen. Amanda Aguirre of Tucson (Senate Bill 1263), and named after the son of Char Ugol, the mother of a child with autism. The bill was then amended onto House Bill 2847 sponsored by Rep. Bill Konopnicki.

Arizona House Bills 2781 and 2789

For the second time, in fiscal year 2008, the Arizona State legislature appropriated a total of $2.5 million for intensive early intervention for toddlers, intensive behavioral treatment, and habilitator training. Between February 2007 and June 2008, a portion of this funding will allow SARRC to provide school-based wraparound therapeutic services to children ages 0-5, supportive services to parents, and free training to hundreds of childcare and preschool providers around the State. Additionally, SARRC has offered training to dozens of habilitators with the funds for training and oversight of habilitation workers, with additional trainings scheduled.

Federal:

On Dec. 19, 2006, the president signed the Combating Autism Act (S.843) into law. This historic piece of legislation authorized nearly $1 billion over the next five years for the National Institutes of Health to conduct autism research, surveillance, education, early detection and intervention. SARRC is advocating, in collaboration with local and national partners, for full funding of the CAA, which requires the annual inclusion of authorized funds in the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill. Supporters must continue to communicate with Congress about this important funding in order to ensure that the dollars authorized by the CAA are actually appropriated to NIH each year.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Wayne Allard announced the release of the EPIAA (S.937). The EPIAA adds a section, "Support for Individuals with Autism and Their Families," to the Public Health Service Act, complementing the work done by the CAA.

While the CAA authorizes new federal autism research, the EPIAA is focused on new federal autism service programs. This includes the creation of a Treatments, Interventions and Services Evaluation Task Force, which will evaluate evidence-based biomedical and behavioral treatments for autism. It also establishes Demonstration Grants, multi-year grants of $20 million to states for the provision of evidence-based autism treatments, services and interventions; and Grants for Services for Adults, a one-time, single-year planning grant program of $20 million and a multi-year service provision demonstration grant program for states.

The EPIAA also authorizes $5 million to increase the capacity and the number of training facilities focused on autism; expands access to post-diagnosis care; establishes multi-year supplemental grants to University Centers of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) for training and technical assistance to address unmet needs of children and families affected by autism; and grants $2 million to a national non-profit organization to establish and maintain a national technical assistance center.

Congress appropriated $7.5 million in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for research on autism among military families in fiscal year 2007, and $8 million is expected for fiscal year 2008. SARRC's research team is preparing an application for a portion of these funds.

Arizona Autism Services Coalition:

SARRC, working in conjunction with other Arizona-based autism service providers, kicked off the Arizona Autism Services Coalition (Coalition) in July 2007. Coalition members are stakeholders from across the state that will identify a mission and goals based on shared priorities. Founding members included SARRC, the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), Specializing in the Education of Exceptional Kids (SEEK), Southwest Human Development (SWHD), and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Arizona Association of Providers for People with Disabilities (AAPPD), Arizona Autism Support, ASSIST Corp., Guthrie Mainstream Services, HOPE Group, Loden Group, and Play ABA/Chrysalis Academy. Click here to open the Arizona Autism Services Coalition's website.

SARRC Public Policy Committee:

SARRC's Public Policy Committee works to improve Arizona systems for SARRC's families impacted by autism spectrum disorders. The Goals of the Committee include:

1. To increase community awareness about autism and SARRC
2. To increase legislative awareness about autism and SARRC
3. To continue autism funding in state budget
4. To accomplish changes in state rules and laws according to mission
5. To educate families and individuals with autism about how to effectively advocate
6. To work proactively rather than reactively, and offensively rather than defensively
7. To ensure SARRC is identified as the expert source on autism in Arizona, by the community, the media, and public officials

• Matt McMahon, Chair
• Kathy Hancock
• Heidi Scott
• Howard Sobelman
• Leo Valdez
• John Vandevier