HOUSE BILL NO. 2572 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 A BILL to amend and reenact § 51.5-9.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to including autism as a disability served by the department of rehabilitative services. ---------- Patron-- Shannon ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 51.5-9.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 51.5-9.1. Department designated as state agency for purpose of coordinating rehabilitative services.

The Department is designated as the state agency for coordinating rehabilitative services to persons with functional and central nervous system disabilities. The Department shall provide for the comprehensive assessment of the need for rehabilitative and support services of such persons, identify gaps in services, promote interagency coordination, develop models for case management and advise the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Governor and the General Assembly on programmatic and fiscal policies and the delivery of services to such persons.

For the purposes of this section, "functional and central nervous system disabilities" shall include, but not be limited to, medically diagnosed autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Prader-Willi syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus). "Prader-Willi syndrome" means a specific disorder that is usually caused by chromosomal change, resulting in lifelong functional and cognitive impairments and life-threatening obesity.