Autism Light: Legislation

Showing posts with label Legislation. Show all posts

Monday, February 18, 2013

George W. Bush

Autism Light #259 is George W. Bush.

On this President's Day 2013, we are honoring a former U.S. President who recognized the growing implications autism had for the United States in the 21st Century and as President signed landmark single disease legislation that dedicated historic federal resources toward research, education, and awareness to fight the autism epidemic.

George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, and was the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001-2009. George W. Bush makes his home in Crawford, Texas and was also formerly the Governor of the State of Texas. On December 19, 2006, then President George W. Bush signed into law the landmark Combating Autism Act. George W. Bush is an Autism Light for signing into law the Combating Autism Act in 2006 that provided the foundation for funding for autism research, prevention, and treatment in the United States.

Education and Family: George W. Bush graduated from Yale University and Harvard Business School. George W. Bush is married to Laura Welch and the couple has two fraternal twin daughters, Jenna Pierce Bush and Barbara Hagar.

Meets Autistic Hero Jason McElwain: In 2006, George W. Bush met with amazing autistic basketball hero Jason McElwin, who was Autism Light #150. George W. Bush said he watched the footage of Jason McElwain's amazing performance of scoring 20 points in 4 minutes on television and added, "I wept, just like a lot of other people did. It's just one of those stories that touched a lot of people's heart (Source)." Here is more from a news story on that meeting.

Combating Autism Act: On December 19, 2006, George W. Bush signed the Combating Autism Act (UPI photo at this link). George W. Bush made the following statement about signing the legislation into law.

For the millions of Americans whose lives are affected by autism, today is a day of hope. The Combating Autism Act of 2006 will increase public awareness about this disorder and provide enhanced federal support for autism research and treatment. By creating a national education program for doctors and the public about autism, this legislation will help more people recognize the symptoms of autism. This will lead to early identification and intervention, which is critical for children with autism. I am proud to sign this bill into law and confident that it will serve as an important foundation for our Nation's efforts to find a cure for autism --George W. Bush 12/19/2006 (Source).

You can read more about the provisions of the Combating Autism Act of 2006 at an archived White House webpage or at the Library of Congress' online database on the legislation. The Combating Autism Act of 2006 had four major categories of initiatives (Source).

The Act Authorizes Research Under NIH to Address The Entire Scope of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The Act Authorizes Regional Centers Of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research and Epidemiology.
The Act Authorizes Activities To Increase Public Awareness Of Autism, Improve The Ability of Health Care Providers To Use Evidence-Based Interventions, And Increase Early Screening For Autism.
The Act Calls on The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) To Enhance Information Sharing.

This landmark autism legislation had the support of Bob and Suzanne Wright who were Autism Lights #177 (Source). In this 2006 interview Bob and Suzanne Wright discuss the benefits of this legislation to the autism community.

Other Sources: You can read more about George W. Bush's biography at the following sites:

On this President's Day we say thank you to former President George W. Bush for being an Autism Light and giving hope and help to autism families when he signed the Combating Autism Act in 2006. The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA) of 2011 was signed by George W. Bush's successor Barack Obama, and the foundation started by George W. Bush signing the original 2006 law continues to help with the ongoing autism research, prevention, and treatment to this day.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of George W. Bush is in the Public Domain.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Reggie B. Walton

Autism Light #231 is The Honorable Reggie B. Walton.

The Honorable Reggie B. Walton has served as the United States District Judge for the District of Columbia since October 29, 2001, having been nominated to the position by then President George W. Bush. Judge Walton is an Autism Light for his groundbreaking ruling on July 26, 2012, that will ease the path for military families to receive Applied Behavioral Analyis treatment for their children through their military health insurance known as TRICARE.

Reggie B. Walton earned his law degree from American University, Washington College of Law in 1974. Judge Walton is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

On July 26, 2012, Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled that TRICARE, the health insurance program for United States active and retired military, must cover Applied Behavioral Analyis as a medically necessary therapy. The decision was in support of the plaintiffs in Civil Action No. 10-0373 in case known as Berge v. United States of America. Kenneth and Dawn Berge and a class of other impacted military families brought the Civil Action. The ruling will positively impact military dependents with autism who have basic TRICARE coverage and allow equal treatment for the autistic children of retired veterans as offered to active duty personnel.

Judge Walton's ruling explained the effectivness of ABA Therapy for autism treatment. The conclusion of the judgment report had this important ruling:

Because the Agency's denial of ABA therapy coverage under the Basic Program is arbitrary and capricious, the Agency must therefore be enjoined from denying qualified beneficiaries coverage on the ground that ABA Therapy is not a covered benefit under the TRICARE Basic Program. Thus, the Court will remand the case back to the Agency with instructions that ABA therapy coverage be provided to Basic Program beneficiaries who otherwise qualify for reimbursement and such reimbursement be provided in compliance with the applicable TRICARE guidelines for the expenses incurred by qualified beneficiaries to acquire ABA therapy for their children. Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, the plantiffs' motion for summary judgment is granted and the defendants' cross-motion for summary judgment is denied (Source-The entire 66 page ruling can be read at this link).

To learn more about how this judgment impacts military families with autism read the news coverage at the following websites.

For more information about Judge Reggie B. Walton and his other judicial accomplishments besides this autism case visit his Wikipedia page or his official District Judge page.

On this Veteran's Day we salute Judge Walton for giving a ruling that will directly help military families with autism. His ruling may also establish a precedence for future victories regarding insurance coverage of ABA treatment. Thanks to The Honorable Reggie B. Walton the door has been opened and the future appears brighter for military families and veterans who have children with autism that need ABA treatment.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photo of Judge Walton is in the Public Domain.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Marco Rubio

Autism Light Classic
Updated on May 30, 2015.

Autism Light #135 is Marco Rubio.

The Honorable Marco Rubio serves as a member of the United Sates Senate, representing the state of Florida. He has served in the Senate since 2010. He was born on May 28, 1971, in Miami, Florida to Cuban immigrants, who came to America in 1958 (Rubio Biography). Sen. Rubio's passion to help those with autism has been evident through his advocacy and leadership on behalf of autism friendly legislation. Sen. Marco Rubio is an Autism Light because his political leadership has been a light to those with autism. This light for autism has shone brightly in both the Florida State House and in the United States Senate.

Presidential Candidate: On April 13, 2015, Marco Rubio declared his candidacy to run for President of the United States in the 2016 election. In conjunction with this he will not be seeking re-election to the Senate seat from Florida he has held since 2010.

Puzzle Pieces of Our Community: On October 14, 2011, Sen. Marco Rubio's longtime political efforts for the cause of autism were recognized at a "Puzzle Pieces of Our Community" event sponsored by Autism Speaks. The following is a video of a portion of the keynote speech Sen. Rubio gave at this event.

Florida Autism Insurance Legislation: Sen. Marco Rubio represented the 111th District of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000-2008. He served as the Speaker of the House for the 2007-2008 session. On April 4, 2008, he helped create the House Select Committee on Autism and Developmental Disorders in the Florida Legislator. As Speaker of the Florida House, Sen. Rubio was instrumental in passing legislation for autism insurance reform in Florida in 2008. The Florida House in 2008 had passed a piece of legislation that would mandate insurance coverage for many children with autism and other disabilities. However, the Florida Senate rejected that measure and offered a bill back to the House that only covered 14% of the cases of autism and no other disabilities. Though disappointed and noticeably moved by the number of children with autism and other disabilities left uncovered in the Senate version of the bill, Sen. Rubio advocated adopting it. He felt that helping some children was better than rejecting the bill and helping none. The following is a video of that emotional vote in the Florida House with Speaker Rubio's remarks, including support from Rep. Gardner, the father of a child with Downs Syndrome (a condition not covered in the final bill).

100 Ideas Conference: Following his service in the Florida House in 2008, Sen. Marco Rubio's work for autism continued as he sponsored a 100 Ideas Conference on Autism in September, 2008. The Autism Health and Wellness Blog reported on the conference and said the following:

The Autism Wellness Foundation viewed Speaker Rubio's 100 Ideas conference as extremely beneficial to promoting better options for children with autism, not least because of the conference's goal to implement the best of ideas raised (the top 100 of them, to be precise).

Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011: Sen. Marco Rubio was a co-sponsor of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 (CARA), which President Barak Obama signed into law on September 30, 2011. The support for CARA crossed party lines and was also sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez, Autism Light #54.

Wristband: The Autism Policy and Politics blog reported that Sen. Marco Rubio has a practice of wearing a wrist band in support of autism. Because of the history that Sen. Rubio has in working tirelessly for autism, his autism awareness wrist band is much more than symbolism.

Other Links: For more information on Sen. Marco Rubio visit these Websites.

Social Media: You can follow Sen. Marco Rubio at these social media areas.

Special thanks to Marco Rubio for taking a stand for autism in both the Florida House and the United States Senate. The autism community is grateful for the bipartisan support of legislators who care about the rights and needs of those with autism in the United States.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post of Sen. Marco Rubio is in the Public Domain. It was obtained from Wikipedia.

http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography

Friday, September 30, 2011

Robert Menendez

Autism Light #54 is Robert Menendez.

The Honorable Robert "Bob" Menendez serves as a member of the United States Senate, representing the state of New Jersey. He has served in the Senate since 2006. Sen. Robert Menendez is an Autism Light because he has taken up the cause of autism on critical occasions in his relatively short career in the United States Senate.

The 57 year old U.S. Senator was born in New York City to Cuban immigrants and has a passion for helping those with autism. Sen. Menendez repeatedly shares two primary reasons for his relentless advocacy for autism in the United States Government.

New Jersey, the state he represents, has the highest rate of autism in the whole United States at a rate of 1 in 94 children (Source).
Sen Menendez feels there needs to be help for families touched by autism, "so that their child or loved one can fulfill their God given capabilities."

Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011: Sen. Robert Menendez was a co-sponsor of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act in the U.S. Senate. When the bill encountered some resistance in the Senate, he struck a deal to help assure passage (Source). This reauthorizes the Combating Autism Act of 2006 for an additional 3 years and will provide federal funds for research, training, detection, and service centers for autism. Bob Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks, said, "Autism Speaks thanks Senator Menendez who led the bill across the finish line." President Barack Obama signed this legislation on September 30, 2011. Emily P. Walker, the Washington Correspondent for MedPage Today has written a summary of key points of the legislation.

Here is a video of Sen. Menendez advocating in the U.S. Senate for the passage of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act.

Other Legislation: Sen. Bob Menendez has been a key sponsor of several other legislative attempts to help the cause of autism.

The Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 never became law.
The Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010 was singed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011.

Here is Sen. Menendez speaking to a group with Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism. In 2010 he was designated the honorary co-chair of Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism.

Here are some news stories or blog posts about Sen. Robert Menendez and autism.

Other Links: For more information on Sen. Robert Menendez visit these Websites.

Social Media: You can follow Sen. Robert Menendez on the following social media.

Thanks to Sen. Robert "Bob" Menendez for shining a light to help make the world better for citizens with autism. His leadership in the United States Senate for autism has been critical during important pieces of legislation.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

This Autism Light post went into syndication on Autisable.

Photo Information: The above photo of Robert Menendez is in public domain and Wikipedia Commons because it is the official public photo of a United States governmental official.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Brian Calley

Autism Light #17 is Brian Calley.

Brian Calley is from Portland, Michigan. He is the current Lt. Governor of the State of Michigan and has served since 2011. He was elected in 2014 to a second term expiring in 2018. Born on March 25, 1977, he is the second youngest Lt. Governor in the history of Michigan. He also has a daughter named Reagan who has autism. Brian Calley is an Autism Light because of his advocacy for autism insurance.

One of Lt. Governor Calley's special causes has been advocacy for mandated autism insurance coverage. On April 27, 2011, Brian Calley was one of the speakers at a fundraising dinner for autism that centered on the theme of "A Father's Perspective on Autism". Below is a video presentation by Brian Calley on Autism Insurance Reform.

Here is an interview on YouTube where Brian Calley discussing his personal passion for autism insurance in Michigan. He makes a case that there are financial benefits for society to treating autism as opposed to letting children with autism become dependents all their lives.

To learn more about Brian Calley's work you can interact with the following Websites.

Special thanks to the Honorable Brian Calley for being an advocate in the Michigan State Government for autism insurance and causes. There is a website on the Autism Insurance Reform issue in Michigan that features The Honorable Brian Calley at this link.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post was taken from Wikipedia Commons and is in the Public Domain.

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