I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2006 

To establish a National Autism Spectrum Disorders Initiative, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 26, 2011 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. DOYLE) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To establish a National Autism Spectrum Disorders 

Initiative, 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 ‘‘National Autism Spec5 trum Disorders Initiative Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL AUTISM SPEC7 TRUM DISORDERS INITIATIVE. 

8 Part R of title III of the Public Health Service Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 280i et seq.) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating section 399E (42 U.S.C. 

2 280i–4) as section 399FF; and 

3 (2) by inserting after section 399DD the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 399EE. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL AUTISM 

6 SPECTRUM DISORDERS INITIATIVE. 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Office 

8 of the Secretary of Health and Human Services the Na9 tional Autism Spectrum Disorders Initiative (referred to 

10 in this Act as the ‘Initiative’). The principal goal of the 

11 Initiative is to improve the lives of persons with autism 

12 spectrum disorders through research focused on preven13 tion, treatment, services, and cures. 

14 ‘‘(b) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY UNDER THE INI15 TIATIVE.—The Secretary (or the Secretary’s designee) 

16 shall— 

17 ‘‘(1) act as the primary Federal official with re18 sponsibility for overseeing all research on autism 

19 spectrum disorders conducted or supported by the 

20 National Institutes of Health; 

21 ‘‘(2) approve the strategic plan described in sec22 tion 399CC(b)(5) and be responsible for its imple23 mentation; 

24 ‘‘(3) receive directly from the President and the 

25 Director of the Office of Management and Budget 


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1 all funds available for autism spectrum disorder ac2 tivities of the National Institutes of Health; 

3 ‘‘(4) from the amounts received under para4 graph (3) for the fiscal year, allocate, in consultation 

5 with the Director of the National Institutes of 

6 Health, to the agencies of the National Institutes of 

7 Health in accordance with the strategic plan all 

8 amounts available for such year for carrying out au9 tism spectrum disorder activities; 

10 ‘‘(5) to the extent practicable, allocate amounts 

11 under paragraph (4) not later than 30 days after 

12 the date on which the Secretary receives the 

13 amounts described under paragraph (3); 

14 ‘‘(6) have authority to reallocate up to 3 per15 cent of the total amount allocated under paragraph 

16 (4) as needs change and opportunities arise; 

17 ‘‘(7) plan and evaluate research and other ac18 tivities related to autism spectrum disorders con19 ducted or supported by the agencies of the National 

20 Institutes of Health, evaluating the activities of each 

21 of such agencies and providing for the periodic re22 evaluation of such activities; 

23 ‘‘(8) maintain communications with all relevant 

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1 ment to ensure the timely transmission of informa2 tion concerning autism spectrum disorders; and 

3 ‘‘(9) carry out this subsection in consultation 

4 with the heads of the agencies of the National Insti5 tutes of Health, with the advisory councils of such 

6 agencies, and with the Interagency Autism Coordi7 nating Committee. 

8 ‘‘(c) SUNSET PROVISION.—This section shall not 

9 apply after the date that is 7 years after the date of the 

10 enactment of this section.’’. 

11 SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF 

12 HEALTH WITH RESPECT TO AUTISM SPEC13 TRUM DISORDERS. 

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

15 U.S.C. 284g) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘basic and 

17 clinical research’’ and inserting ‘‘basic, clinical, and 

18 translational research’’; 

19 (2) in subsection (b)— 

20 (A) in paragraph (2)— 

21 (i) by striking ‘‘basic and clinical re22 search’’ and inserting ‘‘basic, clinical, and 

23 translational research’’; and 

24 (ii) by inserting ‘‘, building upon the 

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1 cent strategic plan for autism spectrum 

2 disorders of the Interagency Autism Co3 ordinating Committee established under 

4 section 399CC’’ before the period at the 

5 end of the second sentence; and 

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

7 ‘‘(6) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 

8 ‘translational’, with respect to research, means em9 phasizing the development and delivery of effective 

10 new therapies to patients.’’; and 

11 (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘, biosamples 

12 relevant to environmental exposures,’’ after ‘‘tis13 sues’’. 

14 SEC. 4. CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS WITH RESPECT TO AU15 TISM INTERVENTION. 

16 Section 399BB(f) of the Public Health Service Act 

17 (42 U.S.C. 280i–1(f)) is amended— 

18 (a) by inserting ‘‘to research networks’’ after ‘‘con19 tracts’’; and 

20 (b) by striking ‘‘interventions for individuals’’ and in21 serting ‘‘interventions to improve the physical and behav22 ioral health and well-being of individuals’’. 

Æ 


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