Bill Text: IL HR0821 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Declares April 2026 as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in the State of Illinois to help increase public awareness of the need to support individuals with autism and the family members, medical professionals, and human services professionals who help care for individuals with autism.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-4)
Status: (Passed) 2026-05-30 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet [HR0821 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2025-HR0821-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a | ||||||
| 3 | neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges with | ||||||
| 4 | social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive | ||||||
| 5 | behaviors, making it challenging for those with autism to | ||||||
| 6 | relate to the world around them; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and | ||||||
| 8 | Prevention, approximately one in 31 children, about 3.2%, in | ||||||
| 9 | the U.S. has ASD, and one in 45 adults in the U.S. has autism, | ||||||
| 10 | equating into approximately 5.4 to 5.5 million adults living | ||||||
| 11 | with autism and representing over 2% of the adult population | ||||||
| 12 | in the U.S.; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Over the past several years, significant progress | ||||||
| 14 | has been made in the areas of research, diagnostic practice, | ||||||
| 15 | and therapy for individuals with autism; early and appropriate | ||||||
| 16 | intervention can result in significant improvements in quality | ||||||
| 17 | of life, independent functioning, and a reduction in care | ||||||
| 18 | costs; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, It is imperative that Illinois adopt public | ||||||
| 20 | policies that reduce the burdens on families caring for people | ||||||
| 21 | with autism and that allow people with autism to reach their | ||||||
| 22 | full potential and self-sufficiency; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The 104th General Assembly, recognizing that | ||||||
| 2 | those policies will help those with autism and their families, | ||||||
| 3 | has formed the bipartisan, bicameral Illinois Legislative | ||||||
| 4 | Neurodiversity Caucus, a first-of-its-kind caucus in Illinois | ||||||
| 5 | history that will include input from the entire State; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, The work done by the Illinois Legislative | ||||||
| 7 | Neurodiversity Caucus will focus on the four cornerstones of | ||||||
| 8 | support, access, resources, and education; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Legislative Neurodiversity Caucus | ||||||
| 10 | will include and welcome input from the neurodivergent, | ||||||
| 11 | healthcare professionals, employers, educators, advocates, | ||||||
| 12 | caregivers, and families; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 14 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 15 | we declare April 2026 as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month | ||||||
| 16 | in the State of Illinois to help increase public awareness of | ||||||
| 17 | the need to support individuals with autism and the family | ||||||
| 18 | members, medical professionals, and human services | ||||||
| 19 | professionals who help care for individuals with autism. | ||||||
