{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413467", "House votes overwhelming in favor Smith\u2019s $1.95 billion Autism CARES Act heads to President\u2019s desk to be signed into law", "2024-12-16", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Comprehensive legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to provide robust funding and enhanced support for Americans with autism is now headed to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law after winning overwhelming support in a vote (374-15) on the House Floor today.\n\nSmith\u2019s Autism CARES Act of 2024\u2014which was approved by the Senate in late November\u2014will provide more than $1.95 billion over five years for programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).\n\n\u201cAt CDC, the funding will support ongoing developmental disability surveillance and research; at HRSA, the funding will cover education, early detection and intervention services; at NIH, the funding will drive research as well as the coordination of autism-related activities, including the Inter Agency Coordinating Committee (IACC),\u201d Smith said during debate on the House Floor.\n\n\u201cAs the prime author of the Autism Cares Act of 2024 and previous iterations of the law in 2011, 2014, and 2019, I know this legislation will help make a huge difference in the lives of the millions of Americans with autism by providing robust funding for durable remedies as well as effective early detection and intervention services to allow them the highest quality of life possible,\u201d Smith said.\n\n\u201cAccording to the CDC, 1 in 36 children in the United States\u2014including 1 in 35 children in my home state of New Jersey\u2014are on the autism spectrum,\u201d said Smith.\n\n\u201cMy legislation pursues critical research goals and focuses on responsive and effective interventions for the estimated 6.8 million individuals with autism\u201427 percent of whom, or over 1.8 million, are profoundly autistic,\u201d Smith said.\n\nSmith\u2019s bill\u2014with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) as the Democrat lead and 61 other bipartisan cosponsors\u2014is expected to become law before the end of the year.\n\n\u201cI am pleased to help pass this bipartisan legislation, a bill I championed alongside Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4), and send it to the President's desk. This bipartisan bill will provide vital funding to expand research and care for Americans with autism,\u201d said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. \u201cThrough this bill, we continue important work in understanding the causes of autism, the best ways to treat autism, and incorporate the voices of those previously missed by research.\u201d\n\nSmith\u2019s legislation has received strong support from the nation\u2019s leading autism advocacy groups, including Autism New Jersey, Autism Speaks, the Autism Society, the Profound Autism Alliance, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.\n\nThe Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2024 will:\n\n\u00b7 Direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research issues encountered by individuals and caregivers as they age, mental health concerns, issues related to aging, as well as co-occurring conditions and needs for supports and services, such as care necessary for physical safety and the prevention of self-injurious behavior;\n\n\u00b7 Increase the number of NIH Centers of Excellence to seven and ensure research reflects the entire population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and is designed to address the full range of needs faced by individuals, including to ensure the physical safety and to promote the well-being of all Americans with autism;\n\n\u00b7 Include, for the first time, a professional bypass budget to provide the autism community with a comprehensive budget highlighting priority research areas and resources needed to advance quality of life improvements for all individuals with autism; and\n\n\u00b7 Promote the adoption of assistive communication technologies to improve communications outcomes for those with communication assistance needs.\n\nSmith, who has been a steadfast champion for the autism community for decades, said \u201cit all started in September 1997 with Bobbie and Billy Gallagher from Brick Township and their indomitable commitment to help their two children\u2014Austin and Alanna\u2014and everyone else with autism.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe met several times and invited the CDC to Brick only to realize that federal autism programs were woefully inadequate\u2014almost nonexistent,\u201d said Smith, who noted he continues to plan and strategize with the couple to this day.\n\nAt Smith\u2019s invitation, federal agencies came to Ocean County for an investigation and found that autism prevalence rates were high not only in Brick, but in nearby communities as well. In response, Smith authored the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology Act, which was incorporated as Title I of the Children\u2019s Health Act of 2000, authorizing grants and contracts for the collection, analysis and reporting of data on autism and pervasive developmental disabilities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413467"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8622119203209877, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}