Reauthorization is not a victory unless it changes the scoreboard

Congress has now reauthorized federal autism programs multiple times since the Combating Autism Act of 2006. Each cycle produces the same ritual: a funding number, a new subtitle, statements of bipartisan concern. Families are asked to treat renewal itself as progress.

APRC does not. The test for any Autism CARES successor is whether the statute forces agencies to report, in public language, what the money purchased. How much went to basic biology, environmental epidemiology, co-occurring medical conditions, and services for people who will need support for life? What outcomes moved?

A larger appropriation with the same opacity is not reform. We will support reauthorization that includes independent evaluation, portfolio balance requirements, and representation for high-support-need families on federal coordinating bodies. We will oppose bills that confuse activity with results.

Ask your members of Congress to attach conditions to renewal →