NY A02100

Establishes the New York State Autism Council within the Executive Department, composed of 16 members including representatives from state agencies (Health, Education, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Financial Services, Office of Children and Family Services), New York Families for Autistic Children, four legislative appointees, and six gubernatorial appointees with specified expertise and regional representation.

Appointed council members serve three-year terms, with staggered initial terms of one, two, and three years to ensure continuity; members serve without compensation but receive reimbursement for necessary expenses.

Council meets at least four times annually and requires a majority quorum for official actions; chair is designated by the Governor from appointed members.

Council duties include approving autism awareness programs, educating families about program and service enhancements, establishing mechanisms to share biomedical research results among researchers and clinicians, providing public access to autism program information, and submitting annual reports with recommendations to the Governor.

Amends the state finance law to authorize expenditures from the autism fund for program and service enhancements, autism awareness projects, and research projects approved by the council; limits research projects to no more than 10 percent of annual fund expenditures.