BILL ANALYSIS
AJR 46
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR 46 (Harkey)
As Introduced June 29, 2010
Majority vote
HEALTH 18-0
--------------------------------
|Ayes:|Monning, Fletcher, |
| |Ammiano, |
| |Carter, Conway, De La |
| |Torre, |
| |De Leon, Eng, Gaines, |
| |Hayashi, Hernandez, |
| |Jones, Bonnie Lowenthal, |
| |Nava, V. Manuel Perez, |
| |Salas, Smyth, Audra |
| |Strickland |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Urges the Congress of the United States to pass
legislation to fully fund Intensive Behavioral Interventions
(IBI) services through TRICARE for all military families with
children with autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and
designate IBI services as a medical necessity to make services
available to children with autism of retired military personnel.
Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes findings and declarations regarding the increased
incidence of autism and ASD; the unique challenges military
families with children with autism and ASD face; and, the cost
to care for a person with such disorders.
2)States that IBI, including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA),
DIR/Floortime, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI),
and other recognized forms of intervention therapy clinically
determined to be effective are making a difference in the
lives of children with ASDs.
3)Makes findings and declarations regarding TRICARE, the health
care management program for military families, implemented by
the Department of Defense (DoD) in 1997 to ensure medical and
mental health care services for families of active duty
military service members;
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states that TRICARE has failed to adequately fund IBI services
for children with autism, which impacts services for children
in military families; and, makes findings and declarations
regarding the inadequacy TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option
(ECHO) as it creates barriers to care, enrollment, and
eligibility for IBI services.
4)Respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to fully
fund IBI services through TRICARE for all military families
with children with autism, and include in the legislation a
designation of IBI services as a medical necessity in order to
make coverage of IBI services available for the children with
autism of retired military personnel and urges Congress to
fully fund all IBI services, including ABA, DIR/Floortime,
RDI, and other forms of intervention therapy demonstrated to
be clinically effective.
5)Directs the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the
United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate,
Members of the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services,
and to each Senator and Representative from California in the
Congress of the United States.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : According to the author, this resolution is a
necessary first step in urging Congress to fully fund IBI
services through TRICARE for all military families with ASD
children. The author states that IBI services are currently
considered "special education" rather than "health" or "mental
health" services and are therefore not covered under TRICARE.
Additionally, the author states that ECHO, which provides
additional coverage for active-duty military families with
children suffering from disabilities such as ASD, only partially
covers IBI services, and is not available to families of retired
military personnel. Additionally, the author states that this
resolution will encourage Congress to designate all IBI
services, such as ABA DIR/Floortime, and RDI as a medical
necessity. According to the author, the Surgeons General of the
Army, Navy, and Marine Corps along with high level officials in
the Air Force and Coast Guard have all recommended fully funding
IBI services both through TRICARE and through ECHO.
AJR 46
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Analysis Prepared by : Martin Radosevich / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0006744