Autism insurance reform was rolled out through the United States, powered by non-Autistic parent-led organizations that excluded Autistics from being involved in a meaningful manner about Autistic healthcare.
Here is a list of states and the legislation that rolled out to force insurance companies to cover Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), or Autistic Conversion Therapy.
The range here (so far) is up to 2011. Some names also commonly seen throughout press releases are: Elizabeth Emken, Peter Bell, Bob Wright, Lorri Unumb
Jump: State List | Timeline
(Last updated: January 26, 2022)
State List
Enacted March 21, 2008
Legislation: HB 187, HB 79, SB 250, SB 74
People: Pete Petersen, Sarah Palin, Sean Parnell
AKA: Steven’s Law
People: Jan Brewer, Amanda Aguirre, Char Ugol, Lisa Glow, Melissa Van Hook, James Adams, Carolyn Warden
Also: Autism Society of America, Greater Phoenix Chapter; ASA Pima County and Northern Arizona Chapter; Supporting Autism Now through Education (SANE); Asperger Parent Network; Arizona Autism Coalition; Arizona Autism Support; Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Recover our Kids (ROK), and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), among others.
Enacted March 4, 2011
People: Uvalde Lindsey , Mary Anne Salmon,
Enacted Oct. 9, 2011
Legislation: AB 88, SB 1563, SB 946, SB 166 AB 171,
People: Jim Beall Jr.,Jerry Brown,Gavin Newsom, Don Perata, Darrell Steinberg, Lorri Unumb
Also: Alliance of California Autism Organizations (ACAO),CA Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission, Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), Autism Speaks, Autism Votes
Enacted June 2, 2009
Legislation: SB 09-244 , SB 244
People: Bill Ritter Jr. , Brandon Shaffer
Enacted June 9, 2009
People: Martin M. Looney, Christopher G. Donovan, M. Jodi Rell , Shannon Knall
Legislation: S 22,
People: Liane Sorenson, Catherine Cloutier, Quinton Johnson
Enacted May 2, 2008
People: Charlie Crist , Ari Porth, Kenneth Pruitt, Marco Rubio , Andy Gardiner, Steven Geller
AKA: Ava’s Law
People: Johnny Grant, Katie Dempsey
Legislation: SB 744
People: Will Espero, Maile S. L. Shimabukuro
Legislation: SB 1900
People: James DeLeo, Peter DiCianni, Lee Jorwic, Christopher Kennedy
Also: Autism Society of Illinois
Indiana
Enacted May 3, 2001
Enacted April 29, 2010
People: Mark Kuhn, Christopher Rants, Daryl Beall, Josh Cobbs
Also: Iowa Autism Council
Enacted April 19, 2010
AKA: Kate’s Law
People: Mark Parkinson, Tim Owens, Mike Wasmer,
Also: Legislative Educational Planning Committee (LEPC), Kansas Coalition for Autism Legislation (KCAL)
Enacted April 14, 2010
People: Jeff Greer, Tom Buford, Julie Denton, Brandon Smith, Robert Stivers, Anne Gregory, Scott W. Brinkman
Enacted July 2, 2008
Legislation: HB 958
People: Bobby Jindal, Toni Peters, Franklin J. Foil, Don Cravins
Maine
Enacted April 12, 2010
Legislation: LD 1198 (SP 446),
People: Peter Bowman
Enacted August 3, 2010
Legislation: H 4935
People: Kirill Reznik, Kathy Klausmeier, Doug Gansler
Also: Autism Society of America, Pathfinders for Autism, SEIU 500, Arc of Frederick County, Easter Seals, The Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Enacted August 3, 2010
Legislation: H 4935 HB 0067_001 , HB 3809
People: Deval Patrick, Frederick Berry, Amy Weinstock, Barbara L’Italien, Lorri Unumb,
Also: Advocates For Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM)
Legislation: HB 5527, HB 5529, SB 785, SB 784, HB 4476, HB 4183
People: Kathy Angerer, Tupac Hunter, Richard Ball
Legislation: HF 204, HF 359, SF 312
People: Kim Norton, Linda Scheid
Legislation: HB 720
People: Noal Akins
Enacted June 10, 2010
Legislation: HB 1311, HB 1341, SB 618
People: Dwight Scharnhorst, Jason Grill, Scott Rupp, Bill Bolster
Also: Missouri Autism Coalition
Enacted May 5, 2009
Legislation: SB 234,
AKA: Brandon’s Bill
People: Brian Schweitzer, Kim Gilan, Laura Simonsen, Kendall Van Dyk
Enacted May 29, 2009
Legislation: AB 162,
People: Jim Gibbons, James Ohrenschall, Ralph Toddre
Also: Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders
Enacted July 23, 2010
Legislation: HB 569
AKA: Connor’s Law
People: Maggie Hassan, Kristin Murphy
Also: New Hampshire Council on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Autism Society of New Hampshire,
Enacted August 13, 2009
Legislation: S 1651, A 2238, S 1651
People: Jon Corzine, Joseph Roberts, Joan Voss, Vincent Prieto, Joseph Vitale, Loretta Weinberg
Enacted April 2, 2009
People: Bill Richardson, Gay Finlayson, Clinton D. Harden, Joni Marie Gutierrez
Enacted Nov. 1, 2011
Legislation: S. 2366, A. 6001, AB 8512, A 6305A, S 4005A, A 10372A, S 7000B, S 7000A, S 7000
People: Andrew Cuomo, Joseph Morelle, Charles Fuschillo, Jr., Neil Breslin, Thomas Duane
People: William R. Purcell, Bob England,
People: Ted Celeste, Nancy Garland, Doug Krinsky,
Legislation: HB 3000, HB 2214, SB 555
People: Peter Buckley, Jim Thompson, Chris Edwards, Suzanne Bonamici
Enacted July 9, 2008
Legislation: HB 1150,
AKA: Autism Benefit Insurance Restoration Bill
People: Dennis O’Brien, Jane Orie, Robert Casey, Ed Rendell, Nick Micozzie, Tony DeLuca, Don White, Mike Stack, Dominic Pileggi, Joseph Scarnati, Robert Mellow, Richard Foxx, David Gates, James Bouder, Kim Motosicky, Rachel Brooks
Also: The Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Enacted June 30, 2011
People: Lincoln Chafee, Peter Palumbo, Edward O’Neill, Teresa Paiva-Weed
Enacted June 7, 2007
Legislation:
AKA: Ryan’s Law
People: Mark Sanford, Lorri Unumb, Marcella Ridley, Lisa Rollings, Derrick Howle.
Enacted June 15, 2007
Legislation: HB 1919,
People: Rick Perry, Eddie Lucio, Cynthia Singleton
Also: Texas Association of Business
Legislation: SB 43
AKA: Clay’s Law
Enacted May 27, 2010
Enacted May 6, 2011
Legislation: HB 1588, SB 1062, HB 2467,
People: Robert Marshall, David Poisson, Bob McDonnell, Janet Howell, Tag Greason, Tim Hugo, Teresa Champion
Also: Virginia Autism Project,
Legislation: SB 5059, HB 1210, SB 5203
AKA: Shayan’s Law
People: Ed Murray, Brendan Williams, Steve Hobbs
Enacted April 1, 2011
Legislation: HB 2693
People: Earl Ray Tomblin, Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Evan H. Jenkins, Earlene Anglin
Enacted October 19, 2009
Legislation: Substitute Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 3,
People: Jim Doyle, Judy Robson, Kim Hixson, Sonja Bingen, Amy Masek, Nissan Bar-Lev, Judy Robson
Also: Wisconsin Autism Insurance Now
Legislation: Health Insurance Coverage for Children with Autism Act of 2009
People: Tommy Wells, Muriel Bowser, Stuart Spielman
Timeline
May 3, 2001
Indiana
June 7, 2007
South Carolina
June 15, 2007
Texas
Amended June 19, 2009; June 15, 2013
March 21, 2008
Arizona
May 2, 2008
Florida
July 2, 2008
Louisiana
Amended June 28, 2012
July 9, 2008
Pennsylvania
April 2, 2009
New Mexico
Amended April 5, 2013
May 5, 2009
Montana
May 29, 2009
Nevada
June 2, 2009
Colorado
June 9, 2009
Connecticut
August 13, 2009
New Jersey
April 12, 2010
Maine
Amended May 1, 2014
April 14, 2010
Kentucky
April 19, 2010
Kansas
Amended April 16, 2014
April 29, 2010
Iowa
May 27, 2010
Vermont
Amended May 16, 2012
June 10, 2010
Missouri
July 23, 2010
New Hampshire
August 3, 2010
Massachusetts
Amended January 11, 2013
March 4, 2011
Arkansas
April 1, 2011
West Virginia
Amended April 2, 2012
May 6, 2011
Virginia
Amended February 7, 2012
June 30, 2011
Rhode Island
Amended June 28, 2012
October 9, 2011
California
Amended October 10, 2013
Nov. 1, 2011
New York
April 18, 2012
Michigan
June 27, 2012
Alaska
August 13, 2012
Delaware
May 23, 2013
Minnesota
July 17, 2013
District of Columbia
August 15, 2013
Oregon
April 2, 2014
Utah
April 21, 2014
Nebraska
May 5, 2014
Maryland
May 19, 2014
U.S. Virgin Islands
November 15, 2014
Washington
Announced (litigation, state regulation)
March 19, 2015
South Dakota
March 27, 2015
Mississippi
April 29, 2015
Georgia
July 13, 2015
Hawaii
October 15, 2015
North Carolina
May 4, 2016
Oklahoma
May 19, 2017
Alabama
January 4, 2017
Ohio
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Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
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