WASHINGTON – Last week, H.R. 1058, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act was signed into law. As a leading member of the Autism Caucus, Congresswoman Hayes worked hard to garner support for this legislation, which dramatically increases our investment in supporting those with autism and their families.

“As someone who has always been an advocate for differently-abled students and as a member of the Autism Caucus, I want to thank the President for signing the Autism CARES Act into law,” said Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. “This important legislation allocates $1.85 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Too often in Washington, people are focused on who gets the credit. My focus was, is, and will remain on getting things done for the people of Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District.”

The original Autism CARES Act became law in 2006 and reauthorized in 2014. Since being taking effect, the programs funded by the legislation have helped hundreds of thousands of children, trained thousands of pediatricians, and invested heavily in programs helping to support individuals on the spectrum and their families.

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Rep. Jahana Hayes has been a public school teacher in Connecticut for more than 15 years and was recognized in 2016 as the National Teacher of the Year. Currently serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Hayes sits on the Committees on Education & Labor and Agriculture and proudly represents Connecticut’s 5th District.