[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9436 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9436

To establish a National Science Foundation grant program to provide and 
    strengthen opportunities for peer-led research regarding autism 
   spectrum disorder and its characteristics in women, and for other 
                               purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 30, 2024

 Mr. Khanna (for himself, Ms. Tenney, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
                         Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a National Science Foundation grant program to provide and 
    strengthen opportunities for peer-led research regarding autism 
   spectrum disorder and its characteristics in women, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Peer-led Efforts to 
Conduct Thoughtful Research and Understand the Modalities of Autism in 
Women and Girls Act'' or the ``SPECTRUM Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN 
              OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEER-LED RESEARCH REGARDING AUTISM 
              SPECTRUM DISORDER.

    The Director of the National Science Foundation is authorized to 
award grants on a competitive basis to support participatory research 
approaches into autism, including with respect to women and girls. Such 
research may include research into any of the following:
            (1) Characteristics of autism in girls and women, including 
        the incidence of ``masking'', ``camouflaging'', or other 
        psychosocial factors.
            (2) Communication between autistic and neurotypical women 
        and girls, and the phenomenon of the ``double empathy problem'' 
        theory.
            (3) Additional related topics at the discretion of the 
        Director.
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