Fredrick Royer

Chair and Members of the Health and Elderly Services Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am a grandparent of a child on the autism spectrum, and I am writing in support of repealing the Autism Council. For years, this Council has not operated as the statute intended. It has existed largely on paper, with inconsistent participation, repetitive meetings, and little evidence of meaningful outcomes for autistic individuals or their families. Despite this, the Council has continued to remain in statute and collect state funds. As a family member, I care about real support—services, accountability, and results. Unfortunately, those state funds have not translated into tangible benefits for families like mine. A nonfunctioning council creates the illusion of oversight while allowing serious gaps in services and accountability to persist. Repeal is not a rejection of autism services or advocacy. It is an honest acknowledgment that this structure has failed and that continuing to fund a body that does not function as designed does not serve the public or the autism community. Autistic people and their families deserve better than a council that exists in name only. I respectfully urge the Committee to support repeal and allow the state to pursue meaningful, accountable reform. Thank you for your time and consideration. sincerely, Fredrick Royer