Combating Autism Act of 2006
Public Law 109-416 · S. 843 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 19, 2006 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Cosponsors (48): Sen. Christopher Dodd, Sen. Jon Corzine,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Combating Autism Act of 2006 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Public Health Service Act to rewrite provisions governing National Institutes of Health (NIH) autism research. Authorizes the Director of NIH to consolidate program activities to improve program efficiencies and outcomes.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH, to review and report to Congress on NIH centers of excellence.
(Sec. 3) Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to awards grants or cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of state epidemiological data on autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to award grants or cooperative agreements for the establishment of regional centers of excellence in such disabilities epidemiology to collect and analyze information on the number, incidence, correlates and causes of such disabilities.
Requires the Secretary to establish and evaluate activities to: (1) inform and educate on such disabilities to increase awareness of developmental milestones; (2) promote research into the development and validation of reliable screening tools for such disabilities; (3) promote early screening of individuals at higher risk for such disabilities; and (4) increase the number of individuals who are able to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of such a disability and provide evidence-based interventions for individuals diagnosed with such disabilities.
Directs the Secretary to provide culturally competent information regarding such disabilities and evidence-based interventions for individuals and their families through state and federal programs and community organizations. Requires states to provide individuals with information about state and local resources.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a curriculum for continuing education to assist individuals in recognizing the need for, and using, valid and reliable screening tools; (2) collect, store, coordinate, and make publicly available such tools and other products that are used by federal programs; (3) expand existing interdisciplinary training opportunities or opportunities to increase the number of sites able to diagnose individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities; (4) promote research into additional tools for shortening the time required to confirm diagnoses of such disabilities and for detecting individuals with such disabilities at an early age; and (5) promote research to determine evidence-based practices for interventions for such individuals, develop guidelines for those interventions, and disseminate information related to such research and guidelines.
Requires the Secretary to establish the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to: (1) coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorder; (2) develop and update advances in research; (3) monitor and make recommendations to the Secretary regarding federal activities related to such disorder; (4) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding public participation in decisions relating to such disorder; (5) develop and annually update a strategic plan for autism spectrum disorder research; and (6) submit to Congress such strategic plan and related updates. Sets forth reporting requirements.
Repeals provisions that: (1) allow the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to make awards of grants and cooperative agreements to collect, analyze, and report data on autism and pervasive developmental disabilities; (2) require the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on autism to health professionals and the general public; and (3) require the Secretary to establish the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate all HHS efforts concerning autism.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2421Related bill
Combating Autism Act of 2005
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Dec 19, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-416.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 11, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 7, 2006Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 843.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Deal (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 25, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Sep 6, 2006FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Aug 4, 2006FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Aug 3, 2006FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 578.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Enzi with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-318.
- Jul 19, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Apr 19, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4878SenateSen. Rick SantorumR-PA· offered Aug 3, 2006Agreed to
To make certain technical corrections.
Aug 3, 2006: Amendment SA 4878 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.