Global Autism Act
Bill: H.R.4160 | Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. (R-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Global Autism Act
This bill establishes the Global Autism Assistance Program within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support developing countries in addressing autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
To carry out this program, the USAID must designate at least two regions in developing countries that (1) need assistance addressing ASD, and (2) have sufficient familiarity with issues concerning ASD to make effective use of the program. The USAID must then award a grant to a nongovernmental organization with experience with ASD to implement the program.
The implementing organization must award grants to local service providers and other groups in the designated regions and offer specialized training for health and education professionals who treat or teach youth with ASD. The organization must also conduct (at biomedical conferences in the designated regions) training on interventions and strategies to improve the health and well-being of individuals with ASD for parents, health care professionals, and others who serve those with ASD.

To establish a Global Autism Assistance Program.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Autism Act''.

SEC. 2. GLOBAL AUTISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment and Purpose.--The Administrator for the United 
States Agency for International Development shall establish and 
administer a health and education grant program, to be known as the 
Global Autism Assistance Program, to--
            (1) support activities under subsection (c)(2) by 
        nongovernmental organizations and other service providers, 
        including advocacy groups, focused on autism spectrum disorder 
        (ASD) in developing countries; and
            (2) establish a program, to be known as the Train the 
        Trainers Program, under subsection (d) to train health and 
        education professionals working with children with ASD in 
        developing countries.
    (b) Designation of Eligible Regions.--Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in 
consultation with research, advocacy, and service organizations for 
individuals with ASD, shall designate not fewer than two regions in 
developing countries that are determined to--
            (1) require assistance in addressing the needs of people 
        with ASD, their families, and systems that serve them;
            (2) have sufficient familiarity with issues related to ASD 
        to make effective use of the Global Autism Assistance Program.
    (c) Selection of Implementing NGO.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        designation of eligible regions pursuant to subsection (b), the 
        Administrator shall select and award a grant under this section 
        to a nongovernmental organization with experience in ASD-
        related issues to implement the Global Autism Assistance 
        Program through selection and awarding of grants to local 
        service providers and advocacy groups focused on ASD.
            (2) Activities.--A local service provider or advocacy group 
        that receives a grant under paragraph (1) may use such grant to 
        carry out any of the following activities (including, as 
        appropriate, the translation into local languages of relevant 
        English-language publications):
                    (A) Education and outreach to the public.--Use 
                public service announcements and other public media to 
                help the public become more aware of the signs of ASD 
                so that children with ASD can be diagnosed and access 
                evidence-based interventions earlier.
                    (B) Support to families.--Development of resources 
                for families, such as online web resource centers in 
                local languages, dissemination of materials to parents 
                of newly diagnosed children, such as information 
                contained in the Centers for Disease Control and 
                Prevention's publication entitled ``Learn the Signs, 
                Act Early'', or other suitable alternatives, and 
                dissemination of educational aids and guides to help 
                parents with their children's development.
                    (C) Support to educational institutions.--Funding 
                for schools or other educational institutions, focusing 
                on teachers of the youngest students, and including the 
                distribution of equipment or of the materials referred 
                to in subparagraph (B).
                    (D) Support to clinics and medical centers.--
                Provision of funding to clinics and medical centers 
                with proven records in addressing ASD to assist with 
                operating expenses, including personnel, equipment 
                supplies, and facilities, development of assessment 
                testing for ASD, and acquisition of specialized 
                equipment, such as augmentative communication devices.
            (3) Applications for grants.--
                    (A) Submission of applications.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant from the implementing nongovernmental 
                organization, a local service provider or advocacy 
                group shall submit to such implementing nongovernmental 
                organization an application at such time, in such 
                manner, and containing such information as such 
                implementing nongovernmental organization may require.
                    (B) Establishment of screening board.--
                            (i) In general.--The implementing 
                        nongovernmental organization responsible for 
                        implementing the Global Autism Assistance 
                        Program shall establish a screening board to be 
                        known as the Project Advisory Board to review 
                        for content and appropriateness applications 
                        from local service providers or advocacy groups 
                        submitted in accordance with subparagraph (A).
                            (ii) Membership.--The members of the 
                        Project Advisory Board shall be appointed by 
                        the implementing nongovernmental organization, 
                        in consultation with the Administrator, and in 
                        accordance with the following provisions:
                                    (I) Each member shall serve for a 
                                term of one year and each member may 
                                serve as many as three consecutive 
                                terms.
                                    (II) A member of the Project 
                                Advisory Board may continue to serve 
                                after the expiration of the term of 
                                such member until such time as a 
                                successor is appointed.
                                    (III) Membership of the Project 
                                Advisory Board shall include at least 
                                seven voting members who are members of 
                                autism advocacy groups, adults with 
                                ASD, professionals working with ASD, or 
                                otherwise associated with the autism 
                                community. Among the voting members of 
                                the Board shall be at least two parents 
                                from different families of individuals 
                                with ASD, one medical professional 
                                working with ASD, one teacher of 
                                individuals with ASD, and one 
                                individual who has ASD. Efforts shall 
                                be made to include on the Project 
                                Advisory Board individuals with 
                                experience working in the developing 
                                world.
                                    (IV) Membership of the Project 
                                Advisory Board shall include non-voting 
                                members as determined appropriate by 
                                the Administrator.
                                    (V) Membership of the Project 
                                Advisory Board shall be chosen so as to 
                                ensure objectivity and balance and to 
                                reduce the potential for conflicts of 
                                interest.
            (4) Support and assistance.--The implementing 
        nongovernmental organization shall provide, contract for, and 
        coordinate technical assistance in support of its mission in 
        meeting the goals and purposes of this Act.
    (d) Train the Trainers.--The implementing nongovernmental 
organization, acting on behalf of the Administrator, in consultation 
with the Project Advisory Board, shall establish a program, to be known 
as the Train the Trainers Program, to--
            (1) identify health and education professionals to receive 
        specialized training for teaching and working with youth with 
        ASD, including training conducted in or workshops at locations 
        within one of the regions designated pursuant to subsection 
        (b);
            (2) conduct training through biomedical conferences in at 
        least two of the regions designated pursuant to subsection (b), 
        including bringing medical and psychological specialists from 
        the United States to train and educate parents, health 
        professionals, caregivers, community health workers, and others 
        who serve people with ASD, including training related to--
                    (A) biomedical interventions that can improve the 
                health and wellbeing of people with ASD;
                    (B) how nutrition, various metabolic issues and 
                other variables can impact behavior; and
                    (C) various evidence-based habilitative and other 
                therapies including but not limited to--
                            (i) applied behavior analysis and other 
                        evidence-based early intensive behavior 
                        interventions;
                            (ii) occupational therapy; and
                            (iii) speech language pathology;
                    (D) other evidence-based interventions and 
                strategies that are effective at improving the health 
                and well-being for people with ASD; and
                    (E) other evidence-based practices as determined by 
                the grantee and based on local needs; and
            (3) conduct post-workshop follow-up technical support and 
        assistance.
    (e) Funding.--To carry out this section, the Administrator shall 
allocate amounts that have been appropriated or otherwise made 
available to the United States Agency for International Development.
    (f) Annual Report.--The Administrator shall submit to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate on an annual basis a report on 
activities carried out under this section during the prior calendar 
year.
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