BILL NUMBER: ACR 53 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 30
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MAY 20, 2009
ADOPTED IN SENATE MAY 14, 2009
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Price
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula,
Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block,
Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Carter, Chesbro, Conway,
Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson,
Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines,
Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello,
Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson,
Torrico, Tran, Villines, and Yamada)
MARCH 23, 2009
Relative to Autism Awareness Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 53, Price. Autism Awareness Month.
This measure would declare April 2009 as Autism Awareness Month
and recognize that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
are valued and important members of society. This measure would
recognize the parents and relatives of individuals with ASDs for
their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of
individuals with ASDs. This measure would also declare the
Legislature's continued support of the work of specified
organizations related to ASDs.
WHEREAS, Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that
typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group
of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); and
WHEREAS, Autism and ASDs are neurodevelopmental disorders of
unknown etiology that may cause significant impairments in language,
communications, and social interactions, abnormalities in behaviors,
and other physical manifestations; and
WHEREAS, ASDs are abnormalities of brain development and function
that are typically diagnosed during the first three years of life,
are four times more likely to occur in males than females, and impact
all segments of California's population regardless of race,
ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or other factors; and
WHEREAS, ASDs now impact one out of every 150 children in the
United States and are the fastest growing serious developmental
disability, making these disorders more common than pediatric cancer,
diabetes, and AIDS combined; and
WHEREAS, Most school districts in California have seen a doubling
of students with ASDs in the past five years. The number of
Californians with ASDs who are served by the State Department of
Developmental Services now exceeds 35,000, which is a number that has
more than tripled since 1998 and has increased more than twelvefold
since 1987; and
WHEREAS, Many Californians are not adequately informed about ASDs
and the value and importance of early identification, assessment, and
treatment of these disorders; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with ASDs and their families in underserved
populations face tremendous and overwhelming challenges in accessing
and navigating the complex programs and services for these disorders;
and
WHEREAS, Parents and family members have made invaluable
contributions through their commitment, caring, and advocacy to
important advances in research, education, and treatment for
individuals with ASDs; and
WHEREAS, California has been the established leader in providing
services and supports for the early identification, assessment,
intervention, education, and treatment of individuals with ASDs that
began with the passage of landmark state legislation such as the
Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act of 1969 and
Assembly Bill 3854 (1974, Burton), relating to autism and public
education; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, Senator Perata authored Senate Concurrent
Resolution 51 (Resolution Chapter 124 of the Statutes of 2005) that
established, with the support of Assembly Speaker Nuoez and
bipartisan backing, the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism,
which is comprised of, among others, Senator Darrell Steinberg as
chairperson, and Dr. Barbara Firestone, President and CEO of The Help
Group, as vice chairperson, to identify gaps in programs and
services related to the education and treatment of children,
adolescents, transitional youth, and adults with ASDs, and to provide
recommendations that will contribute to the development of a
comprehensive and integrated continuum of programs, services, and
funding; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, Assembly Member Pavley authored Assembly Bill
2513 (Chapter 783 of the Statutes of 2006), which was sponsored and
supported by the California School Boards Association, California
Association of Suburban School Districts, and the Association of
California School Administrators, directed by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction to establish the Superintendent's Autism Advisory
Committee (SAAC), and required this multidisciplinary advisory group
to develop recommendations by which public and nonpublic schools,
including charter schools, can better serve pupils with autism and
their parents; and
WHEREAS, The Budget Act of 2006 provided additional funding that
expanded the ASDs initiative to include additional professional
training and development, state and regional ASDs resource centers,
expansion of ASDs support staff, and the development, publication,
and dissemination of "ASD: Best Practice Guidelines for Treatment and
Interventions"; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, Senator Steinberg authored Senate Concurrent
Resolution 42 (Resolution Chapter 50 of the Statutes of 2007) which
proclaimed April 2007 as Autism Awareness Month, and acknowledged the
contributions made in the area of early autism and ASDs intervention
treatment; and
WHEREAS, The State Department of Developmental Services, the
regional centers for individuals with developmental disabilities, the
State Department of Education and local school districts, the State
Department of Health Care Services, and the Centers for Autism
Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) Network
are committed to improving the quality of life for individuals with
ASDs; and
WHEREAS, The University of California, Davis M.I.N.D. Institute,
launched in 1998 with inspiration from the parent community and with
funding from the California State Legislature, is now recognized
internationally as a premier research institution that is advancing
our knowledge of ASDs and other neurodevelopmental disorders; and
WHEREAS, First 5 California has made the issue of autism for
children who are five years of age and younger an important priority,
including the First 5 California Special Needs Project, which
indicates that 19 percent of children suffer from developmental
delays or disabilities that are frequently undetected by routine
examinations during the first five years of life; and
WHEREAS, The Help Group, the Autism Society of America, Autism
Speaks, Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT), Disability Rights
California, and other nonprofit organizations contribute to the
well-being of individuals with autism and their families; and
WHEREAS, The University of California, Los Angeles is recognized
as a Center of Excellence in autism by the National Institutes of
Health and has made significant contributions to the field; and
WHEREAS, The Special Needs Network, Inc. (SNN) is a
community-based organization founded to respond to the needs of
low-income and poor families struggling with raising a child or adult
with developmental disabilities, particularly as it relates to
autism; and
WHEREAS, SNN will celebrate World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) on
April 2, 2009, and Autism Awareness Month in April 2009; and
WHEREAS, WAAD shines a bright light on autism as a growing global
health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world
knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the
importance of early diagnosis and early intervention; and
WHEREAS, Current scientific research demonstrates that the early
identification and intervention of children with ASDs can result in
significant positive outcomes in many children with ASDs; and
WHEREAS, Public information and awareness efforts are of paramount
importance in accelerating early identification efforts and the
proliferation of early intervention programs and services; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature affirms its commitment to
the important issues described in this resolution by declaring April
2009 as Autism Awareness Month in California and emphasizes that each
and every individual with an ASD is a valued and important member of
our society; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes and commends the parents
and relatives of individuals with ASDs for their sacrifice and
dedication in providing for the special needs of individuals with
ASDs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature continues to support the important
work of the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism, the
Superintendent's Autism Advisory Committee, The Help Group, the
University of California, Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, First 5
California, Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT), Disability
Rights California, the Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, the
State Department of Health Care Services, Centers for Autism
Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE)
Network, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Special
Needs Network, and others; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature stresses the need to identify
children with ASDs and to begin early intervention services
immediately after a child has been diagnosed with autism, and that
those services, interventions, and supports for individuals with ASDs
and their families must be provided in an integrated, seamless,
comprehensive, individually focused, and culturally competent manner
that are delivered for the duration of the individual's lifespan; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.