1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to special education; establishing an 
  1.3             interagency committee to coordinate state efforts to 
  1.4             serve children with autism. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [INTERAGENCY AUTISM COORDINATING COMMITTEE.] 
  1.7      (a) The commissioner of children, families, and learning 
  1.8   shall establish an interagency committee to coordinate state 
  1.9   efforts related to serving children with autism.  The committee 
  1.10  shall include representatives of the departments of children, 
  1.11  families, and learning and human services, parents or guardians 
  1.12  of children with autism, pediatricians, local public health 
  1.13  officials, and representatives of private or nonprofit 
  1.14  organizations that advocate on behalf of children with autism. 
  1.15     (b) The interagency autism coordinating committee shall 
  1.16  study and recommend by December 1, 2001, to the committees in 
  1.17  the legislature charged with early childhood through grade 12 
  1.18  education policy and finance matters a plan for improving 
  1.19  efforts at early assessment and identification of autism in 
  1.20  young children.  The plan must consider: 
  1.21     (1) all existing assessment program options; 
  1.22     (2) public and private funding sources including 
  1.23  programmatic funding for early and periodic screening, 
  1.24  diagnosis, and treatment; and 
  1.25     (3) current, research-based best practice models. 
  2.1   The plan must be designed to make optimal use of existing public 
  2.2   resources. 
  2.3      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  2.4   following final enactment.