WASHINGTON – Just four days after it was
introduced, legislation to help families locate missing loved ones with Autism,
Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions unanimously cleared the Senate
Thursday. The bill to extend Kevin and
Avonte’s Law, was introduced Monday by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
The
original
law, authored by Grassley and passed in 2018, is named in honor of two boys
with autism who perished after going missing. The extension that passed Thursday continues programs established under the law to support training for caregivers
to prevent and respond to instances of wandering.
“The Senate’s swift adoption of our bill honors the legacies of
young Kevin and Avonte, and demonstrates our commitment to helping communities
locate loved ones whose conditions cause them to wander. It’s a commonsense,
time-tested bill that’s been instrumental in reuniting families – exactly the
kind of policy that Congress should pass without delay,” Grassley said.
“We
must do everything we can to support people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,
autism, and other developmental disabilities,” said
Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure that caregivers and
law enforcement have the tools and training they need to act when these
Americans go missing. Reauthorizing this bill will help families locate their
loved ones, prevent tragedies and save lives. Now that it has
passed the Senate, I look forward to seeing this legislation signed into
law.”
The bill
is named in honor of two young boys diagnosed with autism who wandered away
from supervised settings and drowned. One of the two, nine year-old Kevin
Curtis Wills, died in 2008 in the Raccoon River near his home town of
Jefferson, Iowa. The other, high school student Avonte Oquendo of Queens, New
York, drowned in NYC’s East River in 2014. Six year-old Hamza Elmi of St.
Cloud, Minnesota, who was also diagnosed with autism, drowned in the
Mississippi River near his home in 2015.
The bill
reauthorizes an alert program to help notify communities about missing
individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease, autism and other developmental
disabilities. It also allows Justice Department grants to be used for state and
local education and training programs to help prevent wandering and reunite
caregivers with missing family members who have a condition linked to
wandering. Along with Grassley and Klobuchar, the bill is also cosponsored by Sen.
Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). It must
now be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives before it can be signed into
law.
“The Autism Society of Iowa
strongly supports the reauthorization of Kevin and Avonte’s Law and we thank
Senator Grassley for his leadership on this important issue,” said Kris Steinmetz, Executive Director of
the Autism Society of Iowa.
“The Autism Society of
America applauds the introduction of a bill to reauthorize Kevin and Avonte’s
Law. The law honors the memory of Kevin Willis and Avonte Oquendo, two boys
with Autism who drowned after wandering from a supervised setting. This law has
resulted in increased training of first responders and helped reduce the number
of injuries and deaths of people with Autism due to wandering. These trainings
are extremely important and must continue and be increased. The Autism Society
supports Senator Grassley's leadership on this issue and stands ready to help
move this bill quickly through Congress,”
said Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America.
“Autism Speaks strongly
supports the reauthorization of Kevin and Avonte’s Law, and we are grateful to
Senators Grassley and Klobuchar for their leadership in bringing this bill
forward. Since its passage, Kevin and Avonte’s Law has resulted in local
communities across the country receiving $10 million in critical funding for
programs to reduce the dangers associated with wandering, a common behavior
among autistic individuals that puts tremendous stress on families and
tragically has resulted in far too many injuries and deaths. We applaud the
sponsors of this legislation for their efforts on behalf of the autism
community and urge swift passage,” said Keith
Wargo, President and CEO of Autism Speaks.
The bill is also supported by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Read more about the original
Kevin and Avonte’s Law HERE.
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