Expanding the Promise for Individuals with Autism Act (EPIAA) - H.R. 1881, S. 937

While we do not know what causes autism, we do know that with early intervention and concentrated treatment, the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder can be mitigated, enabling individuals with autism and their families to live less isolated lives. The Expanding the Promise for Individuals with Autism Act (EPIAA) will provide additional treatment and support resources, increasing access to effective therapies and essential support services for people with autism.

Summary of EPIAA Legislation

The EPIAA will authorize approximately $350 million in new federal money – over and above all existing federal spending on autism – for important initiatives related to treatments, interventions, and services for both children and adults with autism.

More specifically, the EPIAA authorizes

  • The creation of a task force (with not less than 1/3 autism community membership) to report to Congress and the Executive Branch on the state of evidence-based biomedical and behavioral treatments and services for both children and adults with autism, including identifying gaps in applied research on such treatments, interventions and services.

  • Demonstration grants for the coverage of treatments, interventions and services ($20 million annually).

  • Planning and demonstration grants for services for adults with autism ($20 million annually).

  • Grants for the expansion of access to immediate post-diagnosis care ($10 million in Fiscal Year 2009, growing to $20 million by Fiscal Year 2012).

  • National training grants for the University Centers of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities for training, technical assistance and additional services for individuals with autism and their families ($13.4 million annually).

  • A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on service provision and financing.

  • Grants to protection and advocacy systems to better meet the needs of families facing autism and other developmental disabilities, including legal representation ($6 million annually).

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EPIAA News

Currently, the EPIAA House bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Congressman John Dingell (MI-15).

The Senate version of the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy (MA).

Read More News

EPIAA Cosponsors

Alabama
Rep. Spencer Bachus (AL-6)

Alaska
There are currently no cosponsors

Arizona
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-7)

Arkansas
Rep. Mike Ross (AR-4)
Rep. Vic. Snyder (AZ-2)

California
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA)

Rep. Joe Baca (CA-43)
Rep. Howard L. Berman (CA-28)
Rep. Mary Bono (CA-45)
Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-14)
Rep. Sam Farr (CA-17)
Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (CA-4)
Rep. Jane Harman (CA-36)
Rep. Michael M. Honda (CA-15)
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
Rep. Doris O. Matsui (CA-5)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-11)
Rep. George Miller (CA-7)
Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-39)
Rep. Adam B. Schiff (CA-29)
Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-27)
Rep. Hilda Solis (CA-32)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA-6)

Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard (CO)

Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1)

Connecticut
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (CT)

Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3)
Rep. Christopher Shays (CT-4)
Rep. Christopher Murphy (CT-5)

DC
There are currently no cosponsors

Delaware
There are currently no cosponsors

Florida
Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-11)
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21)
Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (FL-17)
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18)
Rep. Robert Wexler (FL-19)

Georgia
Rep. John Barrow (GA-12)
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA- 2)
Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-4)

Guam
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (GU)

Hawaii
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (HI)

Idaho
There are currently no cosponsors

Illinois
Sen. Barak Obama (IL)
Sen. Richard Durbin (IL)

Rep. Danny K. David (IL-7)
Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-9)

Indiana
Rep. Julia Carson (IN-7)
Rep. Mark E. Souder (IN-3)

Iowa
Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA-3)
Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-1)
Rep. David Loebsack (IA-2)

Kansas
There are currently no cosponsors

Kentucky
Rep. John A. Yarmuth (KY-3)

Louisiana
There are currently no cosponsors

Maine
Sen. Susan Collins (ME)

Rep. Thomas Allen (ME-1)
Rep. Michael H. Michaud (ME-2)

Maryland
Sen. Ben Cardin (MD)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD)

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8)

Massachusetts
Sen. John F. Kerry (MA)

Rep. Barney Frank (MA-4)
Rep. John F. Tierney (MA-6)

Michigan
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Rep. Dale E. Kildee (MI-5)
Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (MI-11)
Rep. John Olver (MA-1)

Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman (MN)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)

Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5)
Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4)
Rep. James Oberstar (MN-8
Rep. Timothy J. Waltz (MN-1)

Mississippi
Rep. Charles W. “Chip” Pickering (MS-3)

Missouri
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)

Rep. Russ Carnahan (MO-3)
Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1)

Montana
There are currently no cosponsors

Nebraska
Rep. Lee Terry (NE-2)

Nevada
Rep. Shelley Berkley (NV-1)

New Hampshire
There are currently no cosponsors

New Jersey
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ)
Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ)

Rep. Robert E. Andrews (NJ-1)
Rep. Mike Ferguson (NJ-7)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-8)
Rep. Donald M. Payne (NJ-10)
Rep. Steven R. Rothman (NJ-9)
Rep. Christopher Smith (NJ-4)

New Mexico
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (NM)

New York
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) (SPONSOR)
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (NY)

Rep. Joseph Crowley (NY-7)
Rep. Eliot L. Engel (NY-17)
Rep. Vito Fossella (NY-13)
Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20)
Rep. John J. Hall (NY-19)
Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (NY-22)
Rep. Steve Israel (NY-2)
Rep. Peter T. King (NY-3)
Rep. John R. "Randy" Kuhl (NY-29)
Rep. Nita M. Lowey (NY-18)
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4)
Rep. John M. McHugh (NY-23)
Rep. Michael R. McNulty (NY-21)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-8)
Rep. Jose Serrano (NY-16)
Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (NY-28)
Rep. Edolphus Towns (NY-10)

North Carolina
Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13)

North Dakota
There are currently no cosponsors

Ohio
Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
Rep. Steven LaTourette (OH-14)
Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-17)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH-13)
Rep. Michael Turner (OH-3)

Oklahoma
Rep. Dan Boren (OK-2)

Oregon
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (OR-4)

Pennsylvania
Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (PA)

Rep. Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Rep. Robert A. Brady (PA-1)
Rep. Christopher Carney (PA-10)
Rep. Michael Doyle (PA-14) (SPONSOR)
Rep. Tim Holden (PA-17)
Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA-8)
Rep. Tim Murphy (PA-18)
Rep. John P Murtha (PA-12)
Rep. Todd Russell Platts (PA-19)
Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-7)

Puerto Rico
Rep. Luis G. Fortuno (PR)

Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

South Carolina
There are currently no cosponsors

South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson (SD)

Tennessee
Rep. Bart Gordon (TN-6)
Rep. Zach Wamp (TN-3)

Texas
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-25)
Rep. Chet Edwards (TX-17)
Rep. Charles Gonzalez (TX-20)
Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12)
Rep. Gene Green (TX-29)
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (TX-16)
Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32)

Utah
There are currently no cosponsors

Vermont
Sen. Bernard Sanders (VT)

Virginia
Rep. Rick Boucher (VA-9)
Rep. Tom Davis (VA-11)
Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (VA-5)
Rep. James P. Moran (VA-8)
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)

Washington
There are currently no cosponsors

West Virginia
Rep. Nick J. Rahall II (WV-3)

Wisconsin
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI-2)
Rep. Ron Kind (WI-3)

Wyoming
There are currently no cosponsors

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