Senate Bills - 109th Congress

S. 843—The Combating Autism Act

On April 19, 2005, Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) introduced S. 843, the Combating Autism Act. The bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to combat autism through research, screening, intervention and education. Specifically, S. 843 would (1) require the Director of NIH to coordinate all autism-related research efforts, identify NIH expenditures related to autism research, and develop a strategic plan to combat autism, (2) reauthorize the Federal Autism Coordinating Committee, and (3) require the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to create Centers of Excellence devoted to investigating possible environmental contributors to autism. S. 843 was referred to the Senate HELP Committee.

COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE ACTION

July 19, 2005 - The Senate HELP Committee (Senator Michael Enzi [R-WY], Chairman) marked up and reported favorably S. 843.

FLOOR ACTION

August 3, 2005 - The Senate passed S. 843 by unanimous consent.

December 6, 2005 - The House passed S. 843, as amended by the House, under suspension of the rules.

December 7, 2005 - The Senate passed S. 843, as amended and passed by the House on December 6.

PRESIDENTIAL ACTION

December 19, 2005 - The President signed S. 843 into law as P.L. 109-416.

Legislative Update (December 2006): Autism