President Donald Trump signed the “Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2019” (or the “Autism CARES Act of 2019”) on Monday.
In addition to re-authorizing the Autism CARES Act of 2014, the Autism CARES Act of 2019 will see $1.8 billion in funding go towards people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families—a package that will be spread out over a five-year period.
The National Institute of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will each oversee autism-related programs funded by the bill within that time frame. Combined, the programs are expected to cover disability surveillance, research, education, early detection and intervention.