SENATE, No. 281

By Mr. Antonioni, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 281) of Robert A. Antonioni, Edward M. Augustus, Jr., Jennifer L. Flanagan, Michael R. Knapik, and other menbers of the General Court. for legislation relative to intensive in-home services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Education.
Version with line numberspdf logo

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

AN ACT relative to intensive in-home services forchildren with autism spectrtrum disorder

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The secretary of health and human services and the commissioner of education shall collaborate with parents, providers and others with expertise in meeting the needs of children with autism spectrum disorder to study and develop recommendations for maintaining and increasing the number of qualified providers of intensive in-home intervention services for children with autism spectrum disorder. 

SECTION 2. The secretary and the commissioner shall submit a joint report to the joint committees on education and health care describing said recommendations no later than January 1, 2008.  The report shall consider a full range of options for maintaining and increasing the number of qualified providers available to provide services under the waiver described in this act, including but not limited to: collaboration with Massachusetts' universities, colleges and community colleges; loan forgiveness programs; scholarships to post-secondary students who work as providers and pursue a related field of study; outreach efforts to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder to recruit parents interested in working as providers of services.