The Combating Autism Act:

1
The Combating Autism Act A Historic Declaration
By Congress
Elizabeth Emken Cure Autism Now Autism One
Conference May 24th May 28th The Westin OHare
Hotel
2
Session Outline

• Previous Federal Legislation
• Childrens Health Act of 2000

• About the Combating Autism Act
• CAA in Detail
• Summary Sheet
• Supporters

• Ways to Get Involved

• Website Discussion

3
Combating Autism Act

• The Combating Autism Act will advance the fight
  against autism by authorizing appropriations for
  research, education, and services.
• All of the major national autism organizations
  have come together in support of these objectives.

4
Combating Autism Act

• The Act authorizes 20 national autism research
  centers, budgeting for this purpose a quarter
  billion dollars over five years.
• The Act empowers the Director of the National
  Institute of Health to act as an "autism czar,"
  who will develop an annual research budget on
  autism based on the best science and report that
  budget to Congress.

5
Combating Autism Act

• The Act authorizes grants to develop state
  autism programs, ensuring that all children are
  screened for autism before their second birthday
  and receive appropriate services as early as
  possible.
• Short of a cure, early identification leading to
  early intervention with behavioral services
  provides the best available outcomes for autistic
  kids.

6
Combating Autism Act

• The Act authorizes funding that will enable the
  Autism Treatment Network to identify the best
  medical practices in the treatment of autistic
  kids.
• The Act authorizes continued funding of the
  epidemiological and public education programs on
  autism at the CDC.

7
Combating Autism Act

• The Act authorizes overall about 1 billion of
  federal spending on autism over the next 5 years,
  making possible a multi-front war on autism.

8
Summary Sheet

• The Combating Autism Act of 2005
• Summary Bill Description
• This legislation will accomplish the following
  goals in the fight against Autism
• Authorize 20 national autism centers with a total
  budget of a quarter billion dollars over five
  years.
• Empower the Director of the NIH to act as an
  "autism czar" - developing an annual research
  budget on autism, based on the best science, and
  requiring that budget be reported to Congress.
• Award grants to develop state autism programs,
  ensuring that all children are screened for
  autism before their second birthday and receive
  appropriate services as early as possible - short
  of a cure, early identification leading to early
  intervention with behavioral services provides
  the best available outcomes for autistic kids.
• Fund the efforts of the Autism Treatment Network
  to identify the best medical practices in the
  treatment of autistic kids.
• Continue funding of the epidemiological and
  public education programs on autism at the CDC.
• Authorize, overall, nearly 1 billion of federal
  spending on autism over the next 5 years - a
  multi-front war on autism from public awareness
  and early diagnosis to basic biomedical research
• Why This Legislation Matters
• The Combating Autism Act of 2005 builds on the
  provisions of the Children's Health Act of 2000
  and would authorize 860 million in federal funds
  over five years to combat autism through
  research, screening, intervention and education.
  It also reauthorizes the National Institutes of
  Health Centers of Excellence Program in autism
  originally created in 2000, doubling the number
  of authorized centers.
• The Combating Autism Act of 2005 must be
  co-sponsored by a majority of members in the
  Senate and House. This is the first and most
  important step toward making this bill a law,
  which would enable the federal government to pick
  where the Children's Health Act of 2000 will
  leave off when it expires later this year.
• About the Combating Autism Act
• The Combating Autism Act of 2005 is supported by
  all major autism organizations, including
  A-CHAMP, Autism One, Autism Society of America,
  Autism Speaks, COSAC, Cure Autism Now, Dan Marino
  Foundation, First Signs, Generation Rescue, Moms
  Against Mercury, National Alliance for Autism
  Research, National Autism Association, NoMercury,
  OAR, Southwest Autism Research Resource Center,
  SafeMinds, Talk About Curing Autism, TalkAutism,
  The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for
  Pediatric Oncology, Unlocking Autism, and US
  Autism and Aspergers Association.

9
Letter of Consensus
Autism Community Consensus Statement Supporting
the Combating Autism Act of 2005 November 17,
2005 Dear Senator Santorum, We write to you
on behalf of national organizations assisting
children diagnosed with autism, their families
and other supporting organizations. Collectively,
our organizations represent millions of family
members, researchers, and medical professionals
throughout the country, and we thank you for your
support of The Combating Autism Act (S. 843) of
2005. The autism community is united in its
support of the provisions contained in The
Combating Autism Act, as revised and presented to
you in a joint delegation meeting today. We
believe the revisions strengthen and enhance the
Combating Autism Act, and the undersigned
organizations stand in full support of the bill
as now written. Further, the autism community,
represented by the undersigned organizations,
stands fully prepared to engage in widespread
grassroots mobilization in support of the revised
bill. Thank you for your commitment to our
nations most precious resourceits children.
Respectfully, A-CHAMP Autism One Autism
Society of America Autism Speaks COSAC Cure
Autism Now Dan Marino Foundation First
Signs Generation Rescue Moms Against
Mercury National Alliance for Autism
Research National Autism Association NoMercury
OAR Southwest Autism Research Resource
Center SafeMinds Talk About Curing
Autism TalkAutism The Deirdre Imus Environmental
Center for Pediatric Oncology Unlocking Autism US
Autism and Aspergers Association
10
32 Senate Co-Sponsors
As of May 4, 2006 Sen Akaka, Daniel K. HI Sen
Biden, Joseph R., Jr. DE Sen Bingaman, Jeff
NM Sen Boxer, Barbara CA Sen Cantwell, Maria
WA Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham NY Sen
Cochran, Thad MS Sen Coleman, Norm MN Sen
Collins, Susan M. ME Sen Corzine, Jon S.
NJ Sen Dayton, Mark MN Sen DeWine, Mike OH
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. CT Sen Domenici,
Pete V. NM Sen Hatch, Orrin G. UT Sen
Inouye, Daniel K. HI Sen Isakson, Johnny GA
Sen Jeffords, James M. VT Sen Johnson, Tim
SD Sen Kerry, John F. MA Sen Landrieu, Mary
L. LA Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. NJ Sen Leahy,
Patrick J. VT Sen Lieberman, Joseph I.
CT Sen Menendez, Robert NJ Sen Mikulski,
Barbara A. MD Sen Murray, Patty WA Sen
Pryor, Mark L. AR Sen Reed, Jack RI Sen
Sarbanes, Paul S. MD Sen Schumer, Charles E.
NY
11
Sample Petition
12
Introducing The Advocacy Website For the
Combating Autism Act of 2005