Autism CARES Act of 2024

Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk of the House, reported and found truly enrolled bills of the House of the following titles, which were thereupon signed by the Speaker pro tempore, Mr. McHenry, on Friday, December 20, 2024:

H.R. 663. An act to amend the Indian Child Protection and

Family Violence Prevention Act.

H.R. 1607. An act to clarify jurisdiction with respect to

certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and

for other purposes.

H.R. 1727. An act to amend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Development Act to extend the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

National Historical Park Commission.

H.R. 2468. An act to require the Secretary of the Interior

to convey to the State of Utah certain Federal land under the

administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management

within the boundaries of Camp Williams, Utah, and for other

purposes.

H.R. 3324. An act to extend the authority to collect

Shasta-Trinity Marina fees through fiscal year 2029.

H.R. 4094. An act to amend the Central Utah Project

Completion Act to authorize expenditures for the conduct of

certain water conservation measures in the Great Salt Lake

basin, and for other purposes.

H.R. 4385. An act to extend authorization of the

Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991.

H.R. 4467. An act to direct the Under Secretary for

Management of the Department of Homeland Security to assess

contracts for covered services performed by contractor

personnel along the United States land border with Mexico,

and for other purposes.

H.R. 5646. An act to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965

to require institutions of higher education to disclose

hazing incidents, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5770. An act to reauthorize certain United States

Geological Survey water data enhancement programs.

H.R. 6826. An act to designate the visitor and education

center at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

as the Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center.

H.R. 6843. An act to expand the boundaries of the

Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to include Lafourche

Parish, Louisiana.

H.R. 7177. An act to amend title 28, United States Code, to

consolidate certain divisions in the Northern District of

Alabama.

H.R. 7213. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to

enhance and reauthorize activities and programs relating to

autism spectrum disorder, and for other purposes.

H.R. 7332. An Act to require the Secretary of the Interior

and the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal

land to the State of Utah for inclusion in certain State

parks, and for other purposes.

H.R. 7524. An act to amend title 40, United States Code, to

require the submission of reports on certain information

technology services funds to Congress before expenditures may

be made, and for other purposes.

H.R. 8219. An act to require the Secretary of the Interior

to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility

of designating certain land as the Lahaina National Heritage

Area, and for other purposes.

H.R. 8413. An act to provide for the conveyance of certain

Federal land at Swanson Reservoir and Hugh Butler Reservoir

in the State of Nebraska, and for other purposes.

H.R. 8663. An act to require the Science and Technology

Directorate in the Department of Homeland Security to develop

greater capacity to detect and identify illicit substances in

very low concentrations.

H.R. 9566. An act to require governmentwide source code

sharing, and for other purposes.

Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk of the House, further reported and found truly an enrolled bill of the House of the following title, which was thereupon signed by the Speaker on Saturday, December 21, 2024:

H.R. 10545. An act making further continuing appropriations

for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other

purposes.

Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk of the House, further reported and found truly enrolled bills of the House of the following titles, which were thereupon signed by the Speaker pro tempore, Mr. McHENRY:

H.R. 82. An act to amend title II of the Social Security

Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall

elimination provisions.

H.R. 670. An act to direct the Secretary of Health and

Human Services to establish a website to promote awareness of

available resources for individuals with disabilities, and

for other purposes.

H.R. 1318. An act to authorize the location of a monument

on the National Mall to commemorate and honor the women's

suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to

the Constitution, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1555. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 2300 Sylvan Avenue in

Modesto, California, as the ``Corporal Michael D. Anderson

Jr. Post Office Building''.

H.R. 1823. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 207 East Fort Dade Avenue in

Brooksville, Florida, as the ``Specialist Justin Dean Coleman

Memorial Post Office Building''.

H.R. 2997. An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior

to convey to Mesa County, Colorado, certain Federal land in

Colorado, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3354. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 220 North Hatcher Avenue in

Purcellville, Virginia, as the ``Secretary of State Madeleine

Albright Post Office Building''.

H.R. 3391. An act to extend the Gabriella Miller Kids First

Pediatric Research Program at the National Institutes of

Health, and for other purposes.

H.R. 4136. An act to name the Department of Veterans

Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Plano, Texas, as

the ``U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson Memorial VA Clinic''.

H.R. 4955. An act to name the community-based outpatient

clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Monroeville,

Pennsylvania, as the ``Henry Parham VA Clinic''.

H.R. 4984. An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior

to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the Robert F.

Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus to the District of Columbia

so that the District may use the Campus for purposes

including residential and commercial development, and for

other purposes.

H.R. 5103. An act to require the Director of the Office of

Management and Budget to approve or deny spend plans within a

certain amount of time, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5443. An act to establish a policy regarding appraisal

and valuation services for real property for a transaction

over which the Secretary of the Interior has jurisdiction,

and for other purposes.

H.R. 5867. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 109 Live Oaks Boulevard in

Casselberry, Florida, as the ``Colonel Joseph William

Kittinger II Post Office Building''.

H.R. 5887. An act to amend chapter 3 of title 5, United

States Code, to improve Government service delivery, and

build related capacity for the Federal Government, and for

other purposes.

H.R. 6062. An act to restore the ability of the people of

American Samoa to approve amendments to the territorial

constitution based on majority rule in a democratic act of

self-determination, as authorized pursuant to an Act of

Congress delegating administration of Federal territorial law

in the territory to the President, and to the Secretary of

the Interior under Executive Order 10264, dated June 29,

1951, under which the Constitution of American Samoa was

approved and may be amended without requirement for further

congressional action, subject to the authority of Congress

under the Territorial Clause in article IV, section 3, clause

2 of the United States Constitution.

H.R. 6116. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 14280 South Military Trail

in Delray Beach, Florida, as the ``Benjamin Berell Ferencz

Post Office Building''.

H.R. 6162. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 379 North Oates Street in

Dothan, Alabama, as the ``LaBruce `Bruce' Tidwell Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 6188. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 420 Highway 17 North in

Surfside Beach, South Carolina, as the ``Nancy Yount Childs

Post Office Building''.

H.R. 6244. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 1535 East Los Ebanos

Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``1st Lieutenant

Andres Zermeno Post Office Building''.

H.R. 6395. An act to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to

require the Secretary of the Interior to include the

Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultations

regarding designations of critical minerals, elements,

substances, and materials.

H.R. 6492. An act to improve recreation opportunities on,

and facilitate greater access to, Federal public land, and

for other purposes.

H.R. 6633. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 9355 113th Street in

Seminole, Florida, as the ``Army SSG Ryan Christian Knauss

Memorial Post Office Building''.

H.R. 6750. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 501 Mercer Street Southwest

in Wilson, North Carolina, as the ``Milton F. Fitch, Sr. Post

Office Building''.

H.R. 6810. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 518 North Ridgewood Drive in

Sebring, Florida, as the ``U.S. Army Air Corps Major Thomas

B. McGuire Post Office Building''.

H.R. 6852. An act to designate Holcombe Rucker Park, in

Harlem, New York, as a National Commemorative Site, and for

other purposes.

H.R. 6983. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 15 South Valdosta Road in

Lakeland, Georgia, as the ``Nell Patten Roquemore Post

Office''.

H.R. 7158. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 201 East Battles Road in

Santa Maria, California, as the ``Larry Lavagnino Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 7180. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 80 1st Street in Kingsland,

Arkansas, as the Kingsland `Johnny Cash' Post Office''.

H.R. 7365. To provide PreCheck to certain severely injured

or disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

H.R. 7385. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 29 Franklin Street in

Petersburg, Virginia, as the ``John Mercer Langston Post

Office Building''.

H.R. 74l7. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 135 West Spring Street in

Titusville, Pennsylvania, as the ``Edwin L. Drake Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 7507. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 203 East 6th Street in

Lexington, Nebraska, as the ``William E. and Elsie L. Barrett

Post Office Building''.

H.R. 7508. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 1285 Emancipation Highway in

Fredericksburg, Virginia, as the ``Gladys P. Todd Post

Office''.

H.R. 7606. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 1087 Route 47 South in Rio

Grande, New Jersey, as the ``Carlton H. Hand Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 7607. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at Block 1025, Lots 18 & 19,

Northeast Corner of US Route 9 South and Main Street in the

Township of Middle County of Cape May, New Jersey, as the

``George Henry White Post Office Building''.

H.R. 7893. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 306 Pickens Street in

Marion, Alabama, as the ``Albert Turner, Sr. Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 7938. An act to amend the Klamath Basin Water Supply

Enhancement Act of 2000 to provide the Secretary of the

Interior with certain authorities with respect to projects

affecting the Klamath Basin watershed, and for other

purposes.

H.R. 8012. An act to establish the Jackie Robinson Ballpark

National Commemorative Site in the State of Florida, and for

other purposes.

H.R. 8057. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 9317 Bolsa Avenue in

Westminster, California, as the ``Little Saigon Vietnam War

Veterans Memorial Post Office''.

H.R. 8641. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 401 Main Street in Brawley,

California, as the ``Walter Francis Ulloa Memorial Post

Office Building''.

H.R. 8666. An act to amend title 28, United States Code, to

authorize holding court for the Central Division of Utah in

Moab and Monticello.

H.R. 8667. An act to rename the community-based outpatient

clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Cadillac,

Michigan, as the ``Duane E. Dewey VA Clinic''.

H.R. 8717. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 20 West Main Street in

SantaQuin, Utah, as the ``SGT Bill Hooser Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 8841. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 114 Center Street East in

Roseau, Minnesota, as the ``Floyd B. Olson Post Office''.

H.R. 8868. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located 609 Portsmouth Avenue in

Greenland, New Hampshire, as the ``Chief Michael Maloney Post

Office Building''.

H.R. 8909. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 82-6110 Mamalahoa Highway in

Captain Cook, Hawaii, as the ``Army 1st Lt. John Kuulei

Kauhaihao Post Office Building''.

H.R. 8919. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 151 Highway 74 South in

Peachtree City, Georgia, as the ``SFC Shawn McCloskey Post

Office''.

H.R. 8976. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 20 West White Street in

Millstadt, Illinois, as the ``Corporal Matthew A. Wyatt Post

Office''.

H.R. 9076. An act to reauthorize child welfare programs

under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act and

strengthen the State and tribal child support enforcement

program under part D of such title, and for other purposes.

H.R. 9124. An act to name the Department of Veterans

Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Auburn,

California, as the ``Louis A. Conter VA Clinic''.

H.R. 9285. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 39l3 Leland Avenue Northwest

in Comstock Park, Michigan, as the ``Captain Miguel Justin

Nava Post Office''.

H.R. 9322. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 675 Wolf Ledges Parkway in

Akron, Ohio, as the ``Judge James R. Williams Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 9421. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 108 North Main Street in

Bucoda, Washington, as the ``Mayor Rob Gordon Post Office''.

H.R. 9487. An act to amend the Legislative Reorganization

Act of 1970 to authorize the Legislative Counsel of the House

of Representatives to designate more than one of the

attorneys of the Office of the Legislative Counsel as a

Deputy Legislative Counsel, and for other purposes.

H.R. 9544. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 340 South Loudon Avenue in

Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``United States Representative

Elijah E. Cummings Post Office Building''.

H.R. 9549. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 125 South 1st Avenue in

Hillsboro, Oregon, as the ``Elizabeth Furse Post Office

Building''.

H.R. 9580. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 2777 Brentwood Road in

Raleigh, North Carolina, as the ``Millie Dunn Veasey Post

Office''.

H.R. 9592. An act to amend title 44, United States Code, to

modernize the Federal Register, and for other purposes.

H.R. 9600. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 119 Main Street in Plains,

Georgia, as the ``Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office''.

H.R. 9775. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 119 North Anderson Street in

Elwood, Indiana, as the ``Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Post

Office Building''.

H.R. 10065. An act to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service located at 802 North Tancahua Street in

Corpus Christi, Texas, as the ``Captain Robert E. `Bob'

Batterson Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding and for his leadership and that of my colleague on the other side of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, it all started in September 1997, 27 years ago, with Brick Township, New Jersey, parents Bobbie and Billy Gallagher and their indomitable commitment to help their two children, Austin and Alanna, and everyone else with autism.

We met several times and continue to plan and strategize to this day. We invited the CDC to Brick, New Jersey, only to realize that Federal autism programs were woefully inadequate. Frankly, they were nonexistent.

They spend $287,000 per year on autism. That is it, a straight line for 5 years. It was a nothing burger, and they did nothing really of substance. So I introduced the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research, and Epidemiology Act, the ASSURE Act, in 1998 and again in 1999. In the second one, we had 199, almost one-half of the House of Representatives, as cosponsors. That would have established three to five autism centers of excellence, authorized serious prevalence studies, and established an autism advisory committee, which we now call IACC.

I am deeply grateful that the ASSURE Act was incorporated in large part by Chairman Mike Bilirakis as title I of the Children's Health Act of 2000.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, Bobbie Gallagher, now a board-certified behavior analyst, wrote an amazing book called ``A Brick Wall: How a Boy with No Words Spoke to the World.''

In it she points out, and it is just an amazing book, that all parents of children with autism face many, many hardships: frequent tears, agony, as well as physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion.

Doctors had told the Gallaghers not to worry about telltale early warning signs of autism. One doctor was so uninformed that he said that their daughter, Alanna, just needed a good swift kick in the ass.

She recounts, however, the big moments that she treasures deep within her heart, like when 11-year-old Austin called her ``Mommy'' for the first time. It was slow and deliberate, ``Mommy,'' and she said it was beautiful. When he asked for a cookie, they celebrated in the Gallagher household.

It is a primer for everyone, and I would hope that others would read it. She said in the book that she realized why she is on this Earth: ``I am here to fight for children with autism,'' and fight she and her husband, Billy, have, like so many other brave and remarkable parents who deeply love their children.

They are parents like Scott Badesch, who is on my staff. Scott was the president of Autism Society for 10 years. Deeply, he and his wife love their son, Evan. They love their whole family. He is 37, and they have benefited from his leadership. We have benefited here in the Congress from Scott's leadership.

Also, Mr. Speaker, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act, or simply the Autism CARES Act of 2024, is a comprehensive reauthorization and strengthening of America's whole-of-government autism spectrum disorder initiative.

As the prime author of the Autism CARES Act of 2024 and previous iterations of the law in 2011, 2014, and again in 2019, let me send special thanks to cosponsor Henry Cuellar for his leadership and partnership, and to Brett Guthrie, who is the chairman of the Health Subcommittee and incoming full committee chairman, for faithfully shepherding this legislation through the committee.

I thank my fellow New Jerseyan, Frank Pallone. Above all, I thank and show the deepest respect and gratitude to Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is a tenacious, effective, and brilliant advocate for the autism community. I thank Steve Scalise for making sure we are here today with the bill. I also thank Susan Collins and Ben Ray Lujan for their important work over on the Senate side.

I thank committee staff, including Molly Brimmer, Kristin Fritsch, and Caitlin Wilson, among others, for their help, which was totally invaluable; and John McDonough, Mary Noonan, and, of course, Scott Badesch on my staff for their work on this bill.

The bill, as we know, provides, as has already been mentioned by my colleagues, critical research goals focused on responsive and effective interventions for the estimated 6.8 million individuals with autism, 27 percent of whom--that is 1.8 million--are profoundly autistic.

According to the CDC, 1 in 36 children in the U.S., including 1 in 35 in my home State of New Jersey, are on the autism spectrum.

The bill authorizes more than $1.59 billion over 5 years for programs at the NIH, CDC, and HRSA, Health Resources and Services Administration. It directs the NIH to include the scope of research issues encountered by individuals and caregivers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief and close and put the rest of it in the Record.

Autism Speaks says that the Autism CARES Act is the single most important driver of autism research, training, and data collection programs at NIH, HRSA, and CDC.

Mr. Speaker, we are joined here by Chris Banks, the CEO of Autism Society. They say it is a pivotable law for individuals with autism and their families to live fully, and it is crucial to understand the immense impact this law has on the daily lives of the autism community.

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is also very, very supportive, and Profound Autism Alliance has pushed hard for this bill and its enhanced focus on individuals with profound autism, which they define as people who require lifetime, 24/7 care.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and the President, we hope, will sign it.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7213: Directs the NIH to include in the scope of 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.

Increases the number of NIH Centers of Excellence to seven and ensures 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.

Includes, 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.

Promotes the adoption of assistive communication technologies to improve communications outcomes for those with communication assistance needs.

My bill also helps adults with autism who were and are today often misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed and overlooked.

Language throughout the bill continues to emphasize that causes, diagnosis, detection, prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorder must be throughout the lifespan of a person. To this end, Congress has included the study of gerontology--the study of aging, including the physical, mental, and social changes that occur as people age, as an NIH research priority.

H.R. 7213 continues to emphasize the need for early detection and intervention--including the use of advanced technologies in early detection--to provide the highest quality of life possible for those with autism.

The earlier a child can be identified as having ASD, the earlier they can access interventions and services.

Researchers have developed technologies to identify signs of autism in children as young as eighteen months--this is an incredible development and there is more research being done now to determine if autism can be identified even earlier. However, the median age of diagnosis in the United States is not until after 4 years of age, and diagnosis often occurs even later among those without intellectual disabilities or delays in social communication.

The delivery of services and interventions must keep up with a younger patient population, and services and interventions for autistic individuals must continue to improve across their lifespans.

Examples of services and interventions research include approaches to address conditions that affect the quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum, such as behavior that puts individuals with significant support needs or their caregivers at risk (e.g., self- injurious, elopement, aggression, etc.), or mental health concerns (anxiety, depression, suicidality). The Autism CARES Act emphasizes the need to improve the quality of life for individuals with the full range of needs across the lifespan. Continued research by NIH to study how to improve interventions and the delivery of services is crucial.

H.R. 7213 calls for a report on youth aging out of school-aged services since the pandemic, and recommendations to improve mental health outcomes and address related disparities in mental health care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, including prevention, care coordination, and community-based services.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for her leadership on this important issue and so many other health issues that is making all the difference in the world.

This bill would not be on the floor today without her leadership. I thank Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers so very, very much for that leadership. I thank my good friend, Frank Pallone, for his strong support as well. I thank Henry Cuellar, who is the prime Democrat cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, 61 Members of the House have cosponsored it. It is a totally bipartisan piece of legislation. Anna Eshoo was not only a cosponsor but very helpful when we did Autism CARES of 2019. This builds on that and expands it and strengthens it going forward.

I also thank the staff. We know so much of the great hard work, the spade work, is done by the staff; Molly Brimmer, Kristin Fritsch, and Caitlin Wilson. I also thank John McDonough on my staff. I thought John would be here. He will be here in a moment. I thank Scott Badesch who worked for the Autism Society, who is now on our staff for a dozen years, and also worked for the United Way.

It is a great collaboration of great people all on behalf of helping those on the spectrum, those with severe autism, and, of course, the family members and friends who have such a heavy, heavy lift in caring for and loving because there are so many challenges.

Autism spectrum disorder, Mr. Speaker, is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent impairments in social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, leading to difficulty in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships with others.

If that is not enough, frequently accompanying autism are other co- occurring medical, behavioral, or mental health conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, learning challenges, sleep disorders, feeding and eating issues, mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety, and sensory sensitivities that can lead to seizures.

In some cases, certain symptoms are co-occurring conditions that result in self-injurious behaviors that present complex challenges to parents and caregivers.

I point out for the record, Mr. Speaker, about 30 years ago, Bobbie and Billy Gallagher, parents of two children with autism, who were babies at the time, came into my office in Whiting, New Jersey, and said we need to do something. Nothing is really being done.

Sure enough, we found out that CDC was spending about $287,000 a year for their entire program, straight line for 5 years.

I introduced legislation, the Energy and Commerce Committee incorporated it into the Children's Health Act, and that began this important rise in focus and providing the necessary resources to help those with autism to try to find a way of mitigating its impact on both the person with it as well as upon the family.

The Autism CARES Act is a comprehensive reauthorization and strengthening of the whole-of-government effort that we have been working on now for three decades.

We wouldn't be here today as well if it wasn't for the organizations. Several of them, and we all know them: Autism Speaks, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, The Arc of the United States, Profound Autism Alliance, and the Autism Society, among many others, provided us useful and very informed thoughts and suggestions that are incorporated into this bill.

For the last 2 years, we have been meeting with them, again, trying to find out what needs to be done and

where there is overlap. We don't want to repeat things that don't need to be done.

I have learned so much about how well this is working under the IACC, which is the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. They go overboard trying to prevent duplicative research so that we are not just spending money. We are trying to do it in a way that is very, very precise and very focused.

As the chairwoman a moment ago said, 1 in 36 children in the United States are on the spectrum. In my State, it is 1 in 35, so we are one of the top three in the country that have manifestations of autism. We need to do more on this.

The bill does also include the idea of the entirety of the age. No matter what age you are, if you have autism, we want to help and provide the necessary resources.

We started that last time, and it is making a difference. As my friend from New Jersey pointed out, it increases from five to seven the NIH Centers of Excellence. NIH does so much in every category to try to, again, help those.

Let me just remind my colleagues, and I will finish with this, that we now have the capability to detect autism as early as 18 months. Incredible advancements have been made in this area. Yet, the median age of diagnosis in the United States is not until 4 years of age. We are missing crucial early intervention opportunities by not identifying and then helping those who have it.

I urge passage, and again, I thank the chairwoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7213, the bicameral, bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Autism CARES Act, which is sponsored by my colleague from New Jersey, Chris Smith.

The Autism CARES Act, formerly known as the Combating Autism Act, is the primary source of Federal funding for autism research services, training, and monitoring.

Since 2006, this law has paved the way for incredible scientific developments. Research funded by the law has advanced diagnosis in young children 18 to 24 months of age and has helped identify timely interventions to make a lifetime difference in the care and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Another significant example of the act's success is the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities, or LEND program.

This program has trained nearly 22,000 interdisciplinary health professionals in autism screening and identification benchmarks to improve diagnosis and care.

These programs collectively provide diagnostic services to confirm or rule out autism or developmental disabilities to over 115,000 children.

In my home State of New Jersey, the prevalence of autism remains alarmingly high as the incidence of autism continues to grow nationally.

We are fortunate to have Rutgers University as the home of New Jersey's Autism Center for Excellence, leading the way on several important issues to the New Jersey autism community, including highlighting disparities in getting diagnosed, providing service programs to adults with autism spectrum disorder, and improving the lives of people who are living with this disorder. Progress has been made, but our work is far from over. We must continue supporting children, families, and caregivers throughout their lives.

I am pleased that through our bicameral, bipartisan negotiations, we are able to increase the number of NIH Centers of Excellence from five to seven.

We were also able to come to agreement on requiring more updated reporting for the Department of Health and Human Services on mental health needs among autism patients.

This will help provide better research and support for children transitioning to adulthood with autism and providing a technical assistance center to ensure evidence-based communication tools are available to patients with speech pathology or audiological challenges.

Now, I must say that I am disappointed that the current Speaker's protocol prevents us from providing the robust funding necessary to meet the implementing agency's projections for this law's 5-year reauthorization period. I feel the bicameral, bipartisan compromise before us is a strong product, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the gentlewoman has some additional speakers. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Again, I would say we can see this is a very important piece of legislation dealing with autism spectrum disorder, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7213) to amend the Public Health Service Act to [enhance activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to research on autism spectrum disorder and enhance programs relating to autism/reauthorize certain programs with respect to autism spectrum disorder?], and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7213, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act, or the Autism CARES Act of 2024, led by Congressman Chris Smith.

First, I am grateful for all the work that has been done and the tremendous leadership of Representative Smith. He has been a fierce advocate and a leader on these issues for decades.

Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States with recent studies showing an increasing prevalence nationwide.

Research has also shown that early intervention and therapies often lead to positive outcomes later on in life for individuals with autism.

The Autism CARES Act of 2024 will reauthorize critical programs and activities and support autism research, services, training, and monitoring across the Federal Government.

Importantly, it also takes steps to ensure the public and all individuals within the autism community have an opportunity to engage in and are included in the research process and other activities related to autism spectrum disorder.

I appreciate the passionate engagement and support from stakeholders throughout this process, and I am really grateful that we are considering this bill on the floor tonight before the program's September 30 expiration.

I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the prime sponsor and the champion of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.