I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1881 
To improve support and services for individuals with autism and their 
families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 17, 2007 
Mr. DOYLE (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ENGEL, and Mr. 
PICKERING) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve support and services for individuals with autism 
and their families. 
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 ‘‘Expanding the Prom-
ise for Individuals With Autism Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Autism is a complex developmental dis-
ability that affects the functioning of the brain and 
lasts through a person’s lifetime. 
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(2) Individuals living with autism have the 
same rights as other individuals to exert control and 
choice over their own lives, to live independently, 
and to fully participate in and contribute to their 
communities through full integration and inclusion 
in the economic, political, social, cultural, and edu-
cational mainstream of society. 
(3) The prevalence of autism appears to be 
growing. The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention report that in 2007, autism affects 1 in 
every 150 children and 1,500,000 Americans have 
autism. 
(4) Both children and adults with autism typi-
cally show difficulties in verbal and nonverbal com-
munication, social interactions, and sensory proc-
essing. Individuals with autism exhibit different 
symptoms or behaviors, which may range from mild 
to significant, and require varying degrees of sup-
port from their friends, families, and communities. 
(5) Although the overall incidence of autism is 
consistent around the globe, it is 4 times more prev-
alent in boys than in girls. Autism knows no racial, 
ethnic, or social boundaries, or differences in family 
income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect 
any family and any child. 
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(6) Individuals with autism often need assist-
ance in the areas of early intervention, education, 
employment, transportation, housing, health, and 
recreation. With access to these types of services and 
supports, individuals with autism can live full, rich, 
productive lives. Greater coordination within the 
service delivery system will enable individuals and 
families to access assistance from all sectors 
throughout the lifespan, thus facilitating the appro-
priate delivery of information, education, and serv-
ices. 
(7) There is strong consensus within the re-
search community that intensive intervention started 
as soon as possible following diagnosis yields the 
most positive outcomes for children with autism. 
(8) The limited amount of credible evidence- 
based research on services to children and adults 
with autism is a major impediment to the develop-
ment of quality services. Without this base of re-
search, many services and supports for individuals 
with autism are not covered by private or public 
health insurance programs, nor are certain interven-
tions provided as part of a child’s special education 
individualized education plan. As a result, individ-
uals and families who wish to access services are 
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often only able to do so through incurring significant 
nonreimbursable costs. 
(9) Workforce shortages contribute to the lim-
ited availability of treatments, interventions, and 
supports. There is a need for more professionals who 
can appropriately provide employment, residential, 
and other community-based services to adults with 
autism, as well as a need for professionals who can 
appropriately diagnose autism in very young chil-
dren, and those who can develop appropriate evi-
dence-based treatments, interventions, and supports 
across the lifespan of individuals with autism. 
(10) The combined characteristics of an indi-
vidual with autism, a lack of or limited verbal com-
munication, the inability to gauge social cues, and 
challenging behaviors, has resulted in a growing 
need for community-based individual and family sup-
port services and increased monitoring for abuse, ne-
glect, and rights violations. 
(11) Preliminary numbers on 20 States indicate 
that in 2006, almost a quarter of individuals served 
under protection and advocacy programs for individ-
uals with developmental disabilities were individuals 
with autism, a 6 percent increase from the previous 
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year, yet thousands of individuals with autism were 
unable to access services due to a lack of resources. 
(12) Whatever their individual needs, children 
and adults with autism should receive the treat-
ments, interventions, services, and programs that 
will enable them to fully participate in and enjoy a 
good quality of life in their communities. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 
ACT. 
Part R of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 280i et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by inserting after the header for part R the 
following: 
‘‘Subpart 1—Combating Autism’’; 
(2) in section 399AA(d), by striking ‘‘part’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subpart’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subpart 2—Support for Individuals With Autism 
and Their Families 
‘‘SEC. 399GG. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subpart: 
‘‘(1) ADULT WITH AUTISM.—The term ‘adult 
with autism’ means an individual with autism who 
is 18 years of age or older. 
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‘‘(2) AUTISM.—The term ‘autism’ means an au-
tism spectrum disorder or a related developmental 
disability. 
‘‘(3) CHILDREN WITH AUTISM.—The term ‘chil-
dren with autism’ means individuals with autism 
who have not attained 18 years of age. 
‘‘(4) INDIVIDUAL WITH AUTISM.—The term ‘in-
dividual with autism’ means an individual who has 
been diagnosed with autism. 
‘‘(5) INTERVENTIONS.—The term ‘interven-
tions’ means the educational methods and positive 
behavioral support strategies designed to improve or 
ameliorate symptoms associated with autism. 
‘‘(6) SERVICES.—The term ‘services’ means the 
services to assist individuals with autism to live 
more independently in their communities. 
‘‘(7) TREATMENTS.—The term ‘treatments’ 
means the health services, including mental health 
services, designed to improve or ameliorate symp-
toms associated with autism. 
‘‘SEC. 399HH. TREATMENTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND SERV-
ICES EVALUATION TASK FORCE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of enactment of the Expanding the Promise for Indi-
viduals With Autism Act of 2007, the Secretary, on behalf 
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of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (es-
tablished in section 399CC), shall convene a Treatments, 
Interventions, and Services Evaluation Task Force (re-
ferred to in this subpart as the ‘Task Force’) to evaluate 
evidence-based biomedical and behavioral treatments and 
services, including the following: 
‘‘(1) Treatments, interventions, and services 
that are effective in reducing the impact of symp-
toms associated with autism upon the quality of life 
outcomes for children with autism and adults with 
autism. 
‘‘(2) Treatments, interventions, and services 
that are effective in reducing the long-term costs of 
treatments associated with autism. 
‘‘(3) Treatments, interventions, and services 
that are effective in assisting individuals with autism 
to live independently in their communities. 
‘‘(4) Treatments, interventions, and services 
that can be widely replicated across States and com-
munities during the 2-year period after the date of 
enactment of the Expanding the Promise for Indi-
viduals With Autism Act of 2007. 
‘‘(5) Gaps in applied research on treatments, 
interventions, and services that should be addressed 
by future research. 
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‘‘(6) The cost effectiveness of such treatments, 
interventions, and services. 
‘‘(7) The availability of such treatments, inter-
ventions, and services in each of the States. 
‘‘(8) Successful State- and community-based 
models that organize, integrate, and deliver com-
prehensive services, interventions, and treatments 
across the lifespan of individuals with autism. 
‘‘(9) Other relevant concerns regarding the 
availability of such treatments, interventions, and 
services, as designated by the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
the Task Force membership shall consist of the following: 
‘‘(1) Health care providers with expertise in 
treating children or adults with autism in hospitals 
or other health care settings where comprehensive 
health care is available. 
‘‘(2) Licensed mental health professionals with 
experience in treatments of autism or other related 
behavioral therapies and interventions. 
‘‘(3) Developmental pediatricians with expertise 
in autism. 
‘‘(4) Researchers with an expertise in neu-
rology, gastroenterology, behavioral sciences, endo-
crinology, special education, vocational services, and 
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other specialties that pertain to treatments, inter-
ventions, and services as designated by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(5) Health economists or other individuals 
with expertise in cost-benefit analysis and health 
policy. 
‘‘(6) Service providers with an expertise in as-
sisting individuals with autism to access housing, 
employment, and other services necessary to live in 
such individuals’ communities. 
‘‘(7) Educators with expertise in early interven-
tions, special education, and transition services for 
children with autism, and education or training for 
adults with autism. 
‘‘(8) A representative of the National Council 
on Disability. 
‘‘(9) A liaison from the National Institutes of 
Health involved with the Interagency Autism Coordi-
nating Committee. 
‘‘(10) Representatives of State agencies man-
aging services to individuals with autism. 
‘‘(11) Individuals with autism, families affected 
by autism, and members of organizations that advo-
cate for individuals with autism and their families, 
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whose representation on the Task Force shall be not 
less than one-third of all members. 
‘‘(12) Other individuals, as designated by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(c) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
first convening, the Task Force shall deliver a report 
to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, 
the Director of the National Institutes of Health, 
the Secretary, the heads of other agencies rep-
resented on the Interagency Autism Coordinating 
Committee, and the relevant committees of Congress 
containing the evaluation as detailed in subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(2) RESPONSE.—Not later than 90 days after 
receiving the report described in paragraph (1), the 
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee shall 
provide to the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health, the Secretary, and the relevant committees 
of Congress a response to the Task Force report. 
Such report shall be posted on the Internet and shall 
be available and easily accessible to the public. 
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‘‘SEC. 399II. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS FOR COVERAGE OF 
TREATMENTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND SERV-
ICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after 
the date of enactment of the Expanding the Promise for 
Individuals With Autism Act of 2007, the Secretary shall 
establish a demonstration grant program awarding 
multiyear grants to enable selected States to provide evi-
dence-based autism treatments, interventions, and serv-
ices, as identified by the Task Force under section 
399HH. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—A State that desires to receive 
a grant under subsection (a), shall submit an application, 
in consultation with the State Developmental Disabilities 
Council and organizations representing or serving individ-
uals with autism and their families, that contains the fol-
lowing information: 
‘‘(1) The treatments, interventions, or services 
that the State proposes to provide. 
‘‘(2) Demonstrated capacity to provide or estab-
lish such treatments, interventions, and services 
within the State. 
‘‘(3) Demonstrated capacity to monitor and 
evaluate the outcomes of such treatments, interven-
tions, and services upon individuals with autism. 
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‘‘(4) Demonstrated ability to develop a process 
for distributing funds to a range of community- 
based or nonprofit providers of treatments, interven-
tions, and services, as well as local governments that 
provide services for individuals with autism at the 
community level. 
‘‘(5) Estimates of the number of individuals 
and families who will be served by such grant, in-
cluding an estimate of the number of individuals and 
families in medically underserved areas who will be 
served by such grants. 
‘‘(6) Documented ability to administer such 
grants in partnership with community-based or non-
profit providers of treatments, interventions, and 
services, including those that act as advocates for in-
dividuals with autism, and local governments that 
provide services for individuals with autism at the 
community level. 
‘‘(7) A description of the ways in which access 
to such treatments and services may be sustained 
following the grant period. 
‘‘(8) Compliance with the integration require-
ment provided under section 302 of the Americans 
With Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12182). 
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