S.Amdt. 2929

SA 2929. Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Menendez)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2786
proposed by Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Dodd, and Mr.
Harkin) to the bill H.R. 3590, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members
of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees, and for other
purposes; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. NATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVES ON AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDERS.

Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and
Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15001 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:

``Subtitle F--National Training Initiative on Autism Spectrum Disorders

``SEC. 171. NATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVE.

``(a) Grants and Technical Assistance.--
``(1) Grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, shall award
multiyear grants to eligible entities to provide individuals
(including parents and health, allied health, vocational, and
educational professionals) with interdisciplinary training,
continuing education, technical assistance, and information
for the purpose of improving services rendered to children
and adults with autism, and their families, to address unmet
needs related to autism.
``(B) Eligible entity.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this subsection, an entity shall be--
``(i) a University Center for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities Education, Research, and Service; or
``(ii) a comparable interdisciplinary education, research,
and service entity.
``(C) Application requirements.--An entity that desires to
receive a grant for a program under this paragraph shall
submit to the Secretary an application--
``(i) demonstrating that the entity has capacity to--

``(I) provide training and technical assistance in
evidence-based practices to evaluate, and provide effective
interventions, services,

[[Page S12519]]

treatments, and supports to, children and adults with autism
and their families;
``(II) include individuals with autism and their families
as part of the program to ensure that an individual- and
family-centered approach is used;
``(III) share and disseminate materials and practices that
are developed for, and evaluated to be effective in, the
provision of training and technical assistance; and
``(IV) provide training, technical assistance,
interventions, services, treatments, and supports under this
subsection statewide.

``(ii) providing assurances that the entity will--

``(I) provide trainees under this subsection with an
appropriate balance of interdisciplinary academic and
community-based experiences; and
``(II) provide to the Secretary, in the manner prescribed
by the Secretary, data regarding the number of individuals
who have benefitted from, and outcomes of, the provision of
training and technical assistance under this subsection;

``(iii) providing assurances that training, technical
assistance, dissemination of information, and services under
this subsection will be--

``(I) consistent with the goals of this Act, the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, and the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965; and
``(II) conducted in coordination with relevant State
agencies, institutions of higher education, and service
providers; and

``(iv) containing such other information and assurances as
the Secretary may require.
``(D) Use of funds.--A grant received under this subsection
shall be used to provide individuals (including parents and
health, allied health, vocational, and educational
professionals) with interdisciplinary training, continuing
education, technical assistance, and information for the
purpose of improving services rendered to children and adults
with autism, and their families, to address unmet needs
related to autism. Such training, education, assistance, and
information shall include each of the following:
``(i) Training health, allied health, vocational, and
educational professionals to identify, evaluate the needs of,
and develop interventions, services, treatments, and supports
for, children and adults with autism.
``(ii) Developing model services and supports that
demonstrate evidence-based practices.
``(iii) Developing systems and products that allow for the
interventions, services, treatments, and supports to be
evaluated for fidelity of implementation.
``(iv) Working to expand the availability of evidence-
based, lifelong interventions; educational, employment, and
transition services; and community supports.
``(v) Providing statewide technical assistance in
collaboration with relevant State agencies, institutions of
higher education, autism advocacy groups, and community-based
service providers.
``(vi) Working to develop comprehensive systems of supports
and services for individuals with autism and their families,
including seamless transitions between education and health
systems across the lifespan.
``(vii) Promoting training, technical assistance,
dissemination of information, supports, and services.
``(viii) Developing mechanisms to provide training and
technical assistance, including for-credit courses, intensive
summer institutes, continuing education programs, distance
based programs, and Web-based information dissemination
strategies.
``(ix) Promoting activities that support community-based
family and individual services and enable individuals with
autism and related developmental disabilities to fully
participate in society and achieve good quality-of-life
outcomes.
``(x) Collecting data on the outcomes of training and
technical assistance programs to meet statewide needs for the
expansion of services to children and adults with autism.
``(E) Amount of grants.--The amount of a grant to any
entity for a fiscal year under this section shall be not less
than $250,000.
``(2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall reserve 2
percent of the amount appropriated to carry out this
subsection for a fiscal year to make a grant to a national
organization with demonstrated capacity for providing
training and technical assistance to--
``(A) assist in national dissemination of specific
information, including evidence-based best practices, from
interdisciplinary training programs, and when appropriate,
other entities whose findings would inform the work performed
by entities awarded grants;
``(B) compile and disseminate strategies and materials that
prove to be effective in the provision of training and
technical assistance so that the entire network can benefit
from the models, materials, and practices developed in
individual centers;
``(C) assist in the coordination of activities of grantees
under this subsection;
``(D) develop a Web portal that will provide linkages to
each of the individual training initiatives and provide
access to training modules, promising training, and technical
assistance practices and other materials developed by
grantees;
``(E) serve as a research-based resource for Federal and
State policymakers on information concerning the provision of
training and technical assistance for the assessment, and
provision of supports and services for, children and adults
with autism;
``(F) convene experts from multiple interdisciplinary
training programs, individuals with autism, and the families
of such individuals to discuss and make recommendations with
regard to training issues related to assessment,
interventions, services, treatment, and supports for children
and adults with autism; and
``(G) undertake any other functions that the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this
subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated
$17,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2012 through 2015.
``(b) Expansion of the Number of University Centers for
Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research,
and Service.--
``(1) Grants.--To provide for the establishment of up to 4
new University Centers for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, the Secretary
shall award up to 4 grants to institutions of higher
education.
``(2) Applicable provisions.--Except for subsection (a)(3),
the provisions of subsection (a) shall apply with respect to
grants under this subsection to the same extent and in the
same manner as such provisions apply with respect to grants
under subsection (a).
``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection,
the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that--
``(A) are minority institutions that have demonstrated
capacity to meet the requirements of this section and provide
services to individuals with autism and their families; or
``(B) are located in a State with one or more underserved
populations.
``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this
subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `autism' means an autism spectrum disorder
or a related developmental disability.
``(2) The term `interventions' means educational methods
and positive behavioral support strategies designed to
improve or ameliorate symptoms associated with autism.
``(3) The term `minority institution' has the meaning given
to such term in section 365 of the Higher Education Act of
1965.
``(4) The term `services' means services to assist
individuals with autism to live more independently in their
communities.
``(5) The term `treatments' means health services,
including mental health services, designed to improve or
ameliorate symptoms associated with autism.
``(6) The term `University Center for Excellence in
Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service'
means a University Center for Excellence in Development
Disabilities Education, Research, and Service that has been
or is funded through subtitle D or subsection (b).''.
______