116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1058 
AN ACT 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance activities 
of the National Institutes of Health with respect to re-
search on autism spectrum disorder and enhance pro-
grams relating to autism, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Autism Collaboration, 
Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 
2019’’ or the ‘‘Autism CARES Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION, INTENSIFICATION, AND COORDINA-
TION OF ACTIVITIES OF THE NIH WITH RE-
SPECT TO RESEARCH ON AUTISM SPECTRUM 
DISORDER. 
Section 409C of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 284g) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘and 
toxicology’’ and inserting ‘‘toxicology, and inter-
ventions to maximize outcomes for individuals 
with autism spectrum disorder’’; and 
(B) by striking the second sentence and in-
serting the following: ‘‘Such research shall in-
vestigate the causes (including possible environ-
mental causes), diagnosis or ruling out, early 
and ongoing detection, prevention, services 
across the lifespan, supports, intervention, and 
treatment of autism spectrum disorder, includ-
ing dissemination and implementation of clin-
ical care, supports, interventions, and treat-
ments.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘cause’’ and all that follows through ‘‘dis-
order’’ and inserting ‘‘causes, diagnosis, 
early and ongoing detection, prevention, 
and treatment of autism spectrum disorder 
across the lifespan’’; and 
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking 
‘‘neurobiology’’ 
and 
all 
that 
follows 
through 
the 
period 
and 
inserting 
‘‘neurobiology, 
genetics, 
genomics, 
psychopharmacology, developmental psy-
chology, behavioral psychology, and clinical 
psychology.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(D) REDUCING DISPARITIES.—The Direc-
tor may consider, as appropriate, the extent to 
which a center can demonstrate availability and 
access to clinical services for youth and adults 
from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, or lin-
guistic backgrounds in decisions about awarding 
grants to applicants which meet the scientific 
criteria for funding under this section.’’.
SEC. 3. PROGRAMS RELATING TO AUTISM. 
(a) DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SURVEILLANCE 
AND RESEARCH PROGRAM.—Section 399AA of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘adults on 
autism spectrum disorder’’ and inserting ‘‘adults 
with autism spectrum disorder’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘State and local public 
health officials’’ and inserting ‘‘State, local, and 
Tribal public health officials’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘or other developmental 
disabilities’’ and inserting ‘‘and other develop-
mental disabilities’’; 
(3) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘a univer-
sity, or any other educational institution’’ and in-
serting ‘‘a university, any other educational institu-
tion, an Indian tribe, or a tribal organization’’; 
(4) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘rel-
evant State and local public health officials, private 
sector developmental disability researchers, and ad-
vocates for individuals with developmental disabil-
ities’’ and inserting ‘‘State, local, and Tribal public 
health officials, private sector developmental dis-
ability researchers, advocates for individuals with
autism spectrum disorder, and advocates for individ-
uals with other developmental disabilities’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as 
so redesignated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) INDIAN TRIBE; TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.— 
The terms ‘Indian tribe’ and ‘tribal organization’ 
have the meanings given such terms in section 4 of 
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.’’; and 
(6) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘2019’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2024’’. 
(b) AUTISM EDUCATION, EARLY DETECTION, AND 
INTERVENTION.—Section 399BB of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i–1) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘individuals with autism 
spectrum disorder or other developmental dis-
abilities’’ and inserting ‘‘individuals with autism 
spectrum disorder and other developmental dis-
abilities’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘children with autism spec-
trum disorder’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘disabilities;’’ and inserting ‘‘individuals with
autism spectrum disorder and other develop-
mental disabilities across their lifespan;’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘indi-
viduals with’’ before ‘‘autism spectrum dis-
order’’; 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(4) 
through (6) as paragraphs (5) through (7), re-
spectively; and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) promote evidence-based screening tech-
niques and interventions for individuals with autism 
spectrum disorder and other developmental disabil-
ities across their lifespan;’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘the 
needs of individuals with autism spectrum dis-
order or other developmental disabilities and 
their families’’ and inserting ‘‘the needs of indi-
viduals with autism spectrum disorder and 
other developmental disabilities across their life-
span and the needs of their families’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by strik-
ing ‘‘caregivers of individuals with an au-
tism spectrum disorder’’ and inserting 
‘‘caregivers of individuals with autism 
spectrum disorder or other developmental 
disabilities’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(i)(II), by in-
serting ‘‘autism spectrum disorder and’’ 
after ‘‘individuals with’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by in-
serting ‘‘autism spectrum disorder and’’ 
after ‘‘individuals with’’; 
(4) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by inserting ‘‘across their life-
span’’ before ‘‘and ensure’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(iv), by in-
serting ‘‘across their lifespan’’ after ‘‘other 
developmental disabilities’’; 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 
(3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following:
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘across 
the lifespan of such individuals’’ before the 
semicolon; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘across 
the lifespan of such individuals’’ before ‘‘and 
the families’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(D), by inserting ‘‘, 
the Department of Labor, the Department of 
Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
the Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment,’’ after ‘‘Department of Education’’; 
(B) in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of 
paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘at least two such 
members’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘at least three such members’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘one 
or more additional 4-year terms’’ and inserting 
‘‘one additional 4-year term’’; and 
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘2019’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2024’’. 
(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Section 399DD of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280i–3) is amend-
ed—