[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5756 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5756


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2010

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To amend subtitle D of title I of the Developmental Disabilities 
    Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to provide grants and 
     technical assistance to University Centers for Excellence in 
Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service to improve 
 services rendered to children and adults on the autism spectrum, and 
                their families, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Training and Research for Autism 
Improvements Nationwide Act of 2010'' or the ``TRAIN Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. UNIVERSITY CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE INITIATIVES ON AUTISM 
              SPECTRUM DISORDERS.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Developmental 
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15061 
et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by inserting before section 151 the following:

      ``PART 1--GENERAL GRANT PROGRAMS FOR UNIVERSITY CENTERS FOR 
                             EXCELLENCE'';

         and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

   ``PART 2--UNIVERSITY CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE INITIATIVES ON AUTISM 
                           SPECTRUM DISORDERS

``SEC. 157. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS INITIATIVE GRANTS AND TECHNICAL 
              ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award multiyear 
        grants for the purpose described in paragraph (2) to University 
        Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, 
        Research, and Service that are funded under part 1 and engaged 
        in the core functions described in section 153(a)(2).
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose described in this paragraph is 
        to provide individuals with interdisciplinary training, 
        continuing education, technical assistance, and information for 
        the purpose of improving services rendered to children and 
        adults on the autism spectrum, and their families, to address 
        unmet needs related to autism spectrum disorder. For purposes 
        of the previous sentence, individuals shall include children 
        and adults on the autism spectrum, families of such children 
        and adults, health professionals (including allied health 
        professionals), and vocational training and educational 
        professionals.
            ``(3) Application requirements.--A University Center for 
        Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, 
        and Service that desires to receive a grant under this section 
        shall submit to the Secretary an application--
                    ``(A) demonstrating that the Center has capacity 
                to--
                            ``(i) provide training and technical 
                        assistance in evidence-based practices to 
                        evaluate, and provide effective interventions, 
                        services, treatments, and supports to, children 
                        and adults on the autism spectrum and their 
                        families;
                            ``(ii) provide individuals on the autism 
                        spectrum, and the families of such individuals, 
                        opportunities to advise and direct activities 
                        under the grant to ensure that an individual-
                        centered, and family-centered, approach is 
                        used;
                            ``(iii) share and disseminate materials and 
                        practices that are developed for, and evaluated 
                        to be effective in, the provision of training 
                        and technical assistance; and
                            ``(iv) provide training, technical 
                        assistance, interventions, services, 
                        treatments, and supports under this section 
                        statewide;
                    ``(B) providing assurances that the Center will--
                            ``(i) provide trainees under this section 
                        with an appropriate balance of 
                        interdisciplinary didactic and community-based 
                        experiences; and
                            ``(ii) provide to the Secretary, in the 
                        manner prescribed by the Secretary, data 
                        regarding the number of individuals who have 
                        benefitted from, and outcomes of, the provision 
                        of training and technical assistance under this 
                        section;
                    ``(C) providing assurances that training, technical 
                assistance, dissemination of information, and services 
                under this section will--
                            ``(i) be consistent with the goals of this 
                        Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
                        1990, the Individuals with Disabilities 
                        Education Act, and the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965;
                            ``(ii) supplement, and not supplant, 
                        activities funded under this subtitle (other 
                        than this section);
                            ``(iii) be planned and designed with the 
                        participation of individuals on the autism 
                        spectrum and the families of such individuals; 
                        and
                            ``(iv) be conducted in coordination with 
                        relevant State agencies, institutions of higher 
                        education, and service providers; and
                    ``(D) containing such other information and 
                assurances as the Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Amount of grants.--The amount of a grant to a 
        University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities 
        Education, Research, and Service for a fiscal year under this 
        section shall be not less than $250,000.
    ``(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may reserve not more 
than 2 percent of the amount appropriated to carry out this section for 
a fiscal year to make a grant to a national organization with 
demonstrated capacity for providing training and technical assistance 
to--
            ``(1) assist in national dissemination of specific 
        information, including evidence-based best practices, from 
        interdisciplinary training programs, and when appropriate, 
        other entities whose findings would inform the work performed 
        by University Centers for Excellence in Developmental 
        Disabilities Education, Research, and Service awarded grants 
        under this section;
            ``(2) compile and disseminate strategies and materials that 
        prove to be effective in the provision of training and 
        technical assistance so that the entire network can benefit 
        from the models, materials, and practices developed in 
        individual centers;
            ``(3) assist in the coordination of activities of grantees 
        under this section;
            ``(4) develop a (or enhance an existing) Web portal that 
        will provide linkages to each of the individual training 
        initiatives and provide access to training modules, promising 
        training, and technical assistance practices and other 
        materials developed by grantees;
            ``(5) serve as a research-based resource for Federal and 
        State policymakers on information concerning the provision of 
        training and technical assistance for the assessment, and 
        provision of supports and services for, children and adults on 
        the autism spectrum;
            ``(6) convene experts from multiple interdisciplinary 
        training programs, individuals on the autism spectrum, and the 
        families of such individuals to discuss and make 
        recommendations with regard to training issues related to 
        assessment, interventions, services, treatment, and supports 
        for children and adults on the autism spectrum; and
            ``(7) undertake any other functions that the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $17,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2012 through 2016.

``SEC. 158. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS.

    ``(a) Grants.--The Secretary shall award multiyear grants to not 
more than 4 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental 
Disabilities Education, Research, and Service described in paragraph 
(1) of section 157(a) to--
            ``(1) collaborate with minority institutions to--
                    ``(A) provide services described in such section to 
                individuals on the autism spectrum who are from racial 
                and ethnic minority populations and to their families; 
                and
                    ``(B) conduct research and education focused on 
                racial and ethnic minority populations; and
            ``(2) build capacity within such institutions to enable 
        such institutions to apply to become University Centers for 
        Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, 
        and Service capable of providing such services, research, and 
        education.
    ``(b) Applicable Provisions.--The provisions of paragraphs (2) and 
(3) of section 157(a) shall apply with respect to grants under this 
section to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions 
apply with respect to grants under section 157.
    ``(c) Prioritization.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applicants that demonstrate 
collaboration with minority institutions that--
            ``(1) have demonstrated capacity to meet the requirements 
        of this section and provide services to individuals on the 
        autism spectrum and their families; or
            ``(2) are located in a State with one or more underserved 
        populations.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2012 through 2016.

``SEC. 159. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) The term `interventions' means educational methods 
        and positive behavioral support strategies designed to improve 
        or ameliorate symptoms associated with autism spectrum 
        disorder.
            ``(2) The term `minority institution' has the meaning given 
        to such term in section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965.
            ``(3) The term `services' means services to assist 
        individuals on the autism spectrum to live more independently 
        in their communities.
            ``(4) The term `treatments' means health services, 
        including mental health services, designed to improve or 
        ameliorate symptoms associated with autism spectrum 
        disorder.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Such subtitle is further amended--
            (A) in section 152(a)(1), by striking ``subtitle'' and 
        inserting ``part'';
            (B) in section 153(a)(2)(D), by striking ``subtitle'' and 
        inserting ``part'';
            (C) in each of subparagraphs (B) and (D) of section 
        154(a)(3), by striking ``subtitle'' and inserting ``part'';
            (D) in each of paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 154(d), by 
        striking ``subtitle'' and inserting ``part''; and
            (E) in each of subsections (a)(1) and (b) of section 156, 
        by striking ``subtitle'' and inserting ``part''.
    (2) The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Developmental 
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 is amended--
            (A) by inserting before the item relating to section 151 
        the following:

      ``Part 1--General Grant Programs for University Centers for 
                             Excellence'';

         and
            (B) by inserting at the end of the items relating to 
        subtitle D of title I the following:

   ``Part 2--University Centers for Excellence Initiatives on Autism 
                           Spectrum Disorders

``Sec. 157. Autism spectrum disorders initiative grants and technical 
                            assistance.
``Sec. 158. Capacity building grants.
``Sec. 159. Definitions.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 23, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.