NY A03402

Establishes the New York State Autism Council within the executive department, consisting of 16 members including representatives from state agencies (Health, Education, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Financial Services, Children and Family Services), advocacy groups, parents of children with autism, and regional representatives

Appointed members serve three-year terms, with the governor designating one member as chair; the council must meet at least four times per year

Council responsibilities include approving autism awareness programs, facilitating information sharing among researchers and clinicians, establishing mechanisms to apply biomedical research findings, and providing an annual report with recommendations to the governor

Expands permissible uses of the autism fund to include "program and service enhancements" for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families, in addition to existing autism awareness and research projects

Transfers approval authority for autism awareness projects from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to the new Autism Council, and requires autism research projects to be recommended by the council before agency approval