BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SCR 99
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 1, 2014

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                              Richard S. Gordon, Chair
              SCR 99 (Beall/Steinberg) - As Introduced:  March 10, 2014

           SENATE VOTE  :   35-0
           
          SUBJECT  :   Autism Awareness Month.

           SUMMARY  :   Designates April 2014 as Autism Awareness Month and  
          encourages residents to show support for autism awareness by  
          lighting their homes, businesses, schools, and places of worship  
          with blue light bulbs.  Specifically,  this resolution  makes the  
          following legislative findings:

          1)Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder affecting the  
            social, communication, and behavioral skills of those affected  
            by it; and, more children are being diagnosed on the autism  
            spectrum than ever before with diagnoses as high as one in 88  
            children nationally and one in 54 boys.

          2)There is no cure for autism, but it is well-documented that if  
            individuals with autism receive treatment early in their  
            lives, it is often possible for those individuals to lead  
            significantly improved lives.

          3)Individuals with autism often require a lifetime of  
            specialized and community support services to ensure their  
            health and safety and to support families' resilience as they  
            manage the psychological and financial burdens autism  
            presents.

          4)Throughout the state, Autism Speaks and service providers are  
            organizing the Light It Up Blue campaign and Autism Awareness  
            Day in order to educate parents, professionals, and the  
            general public about autism and its impact.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          Autism Speaks








                                                                  SCR 99
                                                                  Page  2

           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800