On August 8, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4631), into law. U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Michael Doyle (D-PA) introduced and championed the legislation, also known as the “Autism CARES Act of 2014”. The Act authorizes $1.3 billion over five years toward:

  • Continuing autism and other developmental disability research and surveillance activities at the CDC
  • Funding education, early detection and intervention programs
  • Funding research grants from the National Institutes of Health
  • Funding for the activities of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)

The Act also requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to submit an updated progress report on autism and other developmental disability activities, complete a study on the demographics and needs of autistic patients transitioning into adulthood, and other requirements.

We sincerely thank U.S. Reps. Smith and Doyle for their tremendous effort on this legislation, which will make an enduring impact on autism research and care in the years to come.