II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4762 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize programs and research 

relating to autism, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 24, 2024 

Mr. LUJA ́N (for himself and Ms. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize programs and research relating to autism, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Autism Collaboration, 

5 Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 

6 2024’’ or the ‘‘Autism CARES Act of 2024’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4762 IS

1 SEC. 2. PROGRAMS RELATING TO AUTISM. 

2 (a) DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SURVEILLANCE

3 AND RESEARCH PROGRAM.—Section 399AA of the Public 

4 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘tribe, or 

6 a tribal’’ and inserting ‘‘Tribe, or a Tribal’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (d)(1)— 

8 (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 

9 ‘‘TRIBE; TRIBAL’’ and inserting ‘‘TRIBE; TRIB10 AL’’; 

11 (B) by striking ‘‘tribe’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘Tribe’’; and 

13 (C) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and inserting 

14 ‘‘Tribal’’; and 

15 (3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘2024’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘2029’’. 

17 (b) AUTISM EDUCATION, EARLY DETECTION, AND

18 INTERVENTION.—Section 399BB of the Public Health 

19 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i–1) is amended— 

20 (1) in subsections (b)(1) and (c), by striking 

21 ‘‘culturally competent’’ each place it appears and in22 serting ‘‘culturally and linguistically appropriate’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (b)— 

24 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘screen25 ing’’ each place it appears and inserting 

26 ‘‘screening and diagnostic’’; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4762 IS

1 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘higher 

2 risk’’ and inserting ‘‘increased likelihood’’; and 

3 (C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘higher 

4 risk’’ and inserting ‘‘increased likelihood’’; 

5 (3) in subsection (e)(2), by adding at the end 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 

8 after the date of enactment of the Autism 

9 CARES Act of 2024, the Secretary shall submit 

10 to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

11 and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 

12 on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep13 resentatives a report that examines the need for 

14 developmental-behavioral pediatricians and the 

15 feasibility of expanding the developmental-be16 havioral pediatrician training programs de17 scribed in subparagraph (A).’’; 

18 (4) by amending subsection (f) to read as fol19 lows: 

20 ‘‘(f) INTERVENTION.—The Secretary shall promote 

21 research, through grants or contracts, which may include 

22 grants or contracts to research centers or networks, to— 

23 ‘‘(1) develop and evaluate evidence-based prac24 tices and interventions to improve outcomes for indi25 viduals with autism spectrum disorder or other deVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:20 Jul 25, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4762.IS S4762

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4762 IS

1 velopmental disabilities by addressing physical and 

2 behavioral health and communication needs of such 

3 individuals across the lifespan; 

4 ‘‘(2) develop guidelines for such evidence-based 

5 interventions; and 

6 ‘‘(3) disseminate information related to such 

7 evidence-based practices and interventions and 

8 guidelines.’’; and 

9 (5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘2024’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘2029’’. 

11 (c) INTERAGENCY AUTISM COORDINATING COM12 MITTEE.—Section 399CC of the Public Health Service Act 

13 (42 U.S.C. 280i–2) is amended— 

14 (1) in subsection (b)— 

15 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘develop 

16 a summary of’’ and inserting ‘‘summarize, on 

17 an annual basis,’’; 

18 (B) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ‘‘pro19 posed budgetary requirements’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘a professional judgment of anticipated budg21 etary needs’’; and 

22 (C) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking ‘‘an 

23 annual’’ and inserting ‘‘a biennial’’; and 

24 (2) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘2024’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘2029’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4762 IS

1 (d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Section 399DD of the 

2 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i–3) is amend3 ed— 

4 (1) by striking ‘‘2019’’ each place it appears 

5 and inserting ‘‘2024’’; 

6 (2) in subsection (a)(1)— 

7 (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 

8 ‘‘IN GENERAL’’ and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL’’; 

9 (B) by striking ‘‘Health, Education, Labor, 

10 and Pensions Committee of the Senate and the 

11 Energy and Commerce Committee’’ and insert12 ing ‘‘Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

13 and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 

14 on Energy and Commerce’’; and 

15 (C) by striking ‘‘Internet Web site’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘website’’; and 

17 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(c) UPDATE ON YOUNG ADULTS AND YOUTH

19 TRANSITIONING TO ADULTHOOD.—Not later than 2 years 

20 after the date of enactment of the Autism CARES Act 

21 of 2024, the Secretary, in coordination with other Federal 

22 departments and agencies that serve individuals with au23 tism spectrum disorder, shall prepare and submit to the 

24 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 

25 the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 4762 IS

1 of the House of Representatives an update to the report 

2 required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, as 

3 added by section 6 of the Autism CARES Act of 2014 

4 and in effect before the date of enactment of the Autism 

5 CARES Act of 2019, concerning young adults with autism 

6 spectrum disorder and the challenges related to the transi7 tion from existing school-based services to services avail8 able during adulthood.’’. 

9 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

10 399EE of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i– 

11 4) is amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘$23,100,000 

13 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024’’ and in14 serting ‘‘$28,100,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 

15 through 2029’’; 

16 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘$50,599,000 

17 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024’’ and in18 serting ‘‘$56,344,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 

19 through 2029’’; and 

20 (3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘$296,000,000 

21 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024’’ and in22 serting ‘‘$306,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 

23 through 2029’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 4762 IS

1 SEC. 3. EXPANSION, INTENSIFICATION, AND COORDINA2 TION OF ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL INSTI3 TUTES OF HEALTH WITH RESPECT TO RE4 SEARCH ON AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. 

5 Section 409C of the Public Health Service Act (42 

6 U.S.C. 284g) is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

9 (i) by striking ‘‘including pathology’’ 

10 and inserting ‘‘such as pathology’’; and 

11 (ii) by inserting ‘‘psychiatry, psy12 chology, gerontology, developmental behav13 ioral pediatrics, audiology,’’ after ‘‘toxi14 cology,’’; and 

15 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(4) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out this 

17 section, the Director shall take into consideration 

18 the various needs of individuals with autism spec19 trum disorder with respect to services and supports 

20 and addressing co-occurring conditions.’’; and 

21 (2) in subsection (b)— 

22 (A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘geron23 tology,’’ after ‘‘behavioral psychology,’’; and 

24 (B) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ‘‘pe25 riod of’’ and inserting ‘‘period’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 4762 IS

1 SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO 

2 COMMUNICATION TOOLS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

4 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec5 retary’’) may, at the request of a State, Indian Tribe or 

6 Tribal organization, locality, or territory, provide training 

7 and technical assistance to such jurisdiction on the man8 ner in which Federal funding administered by the Sec9 retary may be used to provide individuals with autism 

10 spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities 

11 with access to evidence-based services, tools, and tech12 nologies that support communication needs. 

13 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall annually 

14 prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Edu15 cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Com16 mittee on Education and the Workforce and the Com17 mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep18 resentatives a report summarizing any technical assistance 

19 provided by the Secretary in the preceding fiscal year 

20 under subsection (a) and any advancements in the devel21 opment or evaluation of such evidence-based services, 

22 tools, and technologies. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS