On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would extend assistance to communities in locating individuals with autism, Alzheimer’s, or other conditions after they may have wandered into danger. Kevin and Avonte’s Law, named in part for a nine-year-old autistic Jefferson boy, Kevin Curtis Wills, who drowned in the Raccoon River in 2008, was initially authored by Senator Chuck Grassley in 2017.
Grassley adds that the bill reauthorizes an alert program that helps notify communities about missing individuals with cognitive conditions and provides funding for grants to train caregivers and staff on preventing and responding to such situations.
The original bill was cosponsored by Democrat Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Dick Durbin of Illinois and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Grassley says the bipartisan nature of this reauthorization legislation showcases the perceived divisiveness in Washington, D.C. is not as stark as Americans believe.
The bill still needs approval from the U.S. House of Representatives before it can be signed into law, but Grassley does not foresee any substantial opposition from the lower chamber. Kevin and Avonte’s Law would be reauthorized for another five years if approved.
