The Autism Omnibus Law
The Autism Omnibus Law is a landmark law addressing unmet needs of people with autism, reflecting many of the priority recommendations of the Commonwealth’s Autism Commission and MAC’s Autism Center.
This bill reflects the state legislature’s commitment to address the needs of the growing numbers of people with autism in the Commonwealth. MAC and other stakeholders dedicated an enormous amount of effort advocating for passage of the bill, and we are thrilled that on August 6, 2014, the Governor signed the Autism Omnibus Bill into law.
The law includes the following key provisions:
A requirement that MassHealth cover medically necessary treatments for children with Autism who are under 21 years old – including ABA therapies as well as dedicated and non-dedicated AAC devices;
Extension of Department of Developmental Services (DDS) eligibility to many persons with Autism, Prader Willi Syndrome and Smith-Magenis syndrome;
DDS now accepting applications for youth Autism under the new omnibus law:
–DDS Eligibility Fact Sheet
–DDS Application Adult
The creation of an Autism Endorsement for special education teachers to enable them to voluntarily gain in-depth knowledge about the complexities of educating students with Autism;
The creation of tax-free saving accounts (called “Achieving a Better Life Experience” or ABLE) to help families cover anticipated disability-related expenses for individuals with Autism and other physical and developmental disabilities;
Requiring DMH and DDS to develop and implement a plan to provide services to individuals who have both a mental illness and a developmental disabilities; and
Establishing the Autism Commission as a permanent entity.