Advocacy
Join ASCV for the 2025 Virginia General Assembly Session
The ASCV partners with several fellow advocacy organizations across Virginia, including the Virginia Autism Project (VAP), Virginia Autism Foundation (VAF), Commonwealth Autism Services, Autism Societies of Northern Virginia & Tidewater, Charlottesville Region Autism Action Group (CRAAG), Autism Speaks, The Arc of Virginia, and many others. Our goal is to improve services and strengthen protections for autistic individuals. We strive to unify the voice of the autism community and integrate legislation in a coordinated manner.
2025 Legislative Priorities
Legislative Agenda:
- HB2285 (Coyner) – Creates an autism data dashboard to collect and monitor data that will empower policymakers to make informed, evidence-based decisions to improve services, identify gaps in resources, and ensure equitable access to support for individuals and families in Virginia.
- SB1293 (Stanley) – Directs school employees and medical professionals to participate in high-quality professional development to better understand autistic traits, communicate with ASD individuals, and understand how to use de-escalation strategies.
Support Agenda:
- HB2219 (Tran) – Requires IEP documentation and staff training to support students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
- SB765 (Favola) – Ensures that a person’s right to vote is not automatically removed when they have a guardian.
- HB2501 (Rasoul) / SB1265 (DeSteph) – Ensures individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities can effectively communicate their needs to law enforcement officers during traffic encounters.
- Allow parents of minors and spouses of adults with extraordinary care needs to receive payment as caregivers and increase access to respite care. (Arc of Virginia)
- Expand access to Medicaid Works to support sustained employment and ongoing service needs. (Arc of Virginia)
- We support legislation proposed by DThree (Decriminalize Developmental Disabilities) that would allow courts to grant deferred disposition at any stage of the legal process, enabling earlier and more equitable access to this option for eligible individuals, and protect the rights of ASD individuals during interrogation.
- We support increased rates for Supported Living services to ensure equitable access to inclusive housing services. (Arc of Virginia)
Budget Items:
- Infrastructure Development: Support the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards’ proposal to fund the recruitment and onboarding of additional support coordinators.
- Provider Development Incubator: This incubator will be overseen and evaluated by a community of stakeholders, including Arc of Virginia, Partnership for People with Disabilities, Autism Society Central Virginia, and the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, and will offer resources and support for both new and existing providers.
- Develop Core Services for Priorities 2 and 3: Develop a plan to fund core services that address the needs of individuals in Priority 2 and 3 categories, which will reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of a large Priority 1 waitlist and reduce crisis situations.
Autism Advocacy Day: Monday, January 27, 2025
Join us as we visit our legislators and advocate for enhanced services and supports for autistic individuals across Virginia!
We will partner with attendees to make appointments to visit with your legislators in small groups with experienced leaders from 9-11 AM. At noon, we will be introduced in the Senate & House chambers to highlight our advocacy efforts. All are invited to join us for lunch as an opportunity to network with fellow community members.
How to Advocate Effectively
- Visit this site frequently to stay up-to-date on bills related to our legislative agenda. COMING SOON: Watch our series of 10 minutes videos to learn how you can effectively advocate and receive overviews on current legislation impacting our autism community.
- Visit Virginia’s Legislative Information System (LIS) to search and track bills that are important to you. Familiarize yourself with the details and status of each, and be sure to check back in regularly to track.
- Testify in committee hearings. Please let us know if there’s an item you’d like to speak to, and we will do our best to notify you as soon as the committee meeting is announced. Virtual testimony is allowed!
- Visit the Who’s My Legislator website and enter your address to find your Delegate and Senator. Reach out to your Delegate and Senator via phone or email to request their support of specific bills, including WHY issues are so important to you. Before you reach out, be sure to note if your legislator is already a Patron of the bill so you can either thank them or request their support.
- Participate in 2025 Autism Advocacy Day on Monday, January 27th at the General Assembly to meet with your legislators and be part of a powerful day to make our voices heard!
Helpful Links
- Virginia House of Delegates Listing – Search for members, filter by committee, build your own list, and more
- Senate of Virginia Member Listing – View members & contact information
- Legislative Committees – To reach out to members of specific committees
ASCV's Approach to Advocacy
The ASCV team is dedicated to sharing information with our families and educating policymakers on current priorities that impact our local autism community. The ASCV is proud to represent a very diverse community of individuals across the entire autism spectrum and their families. We strive to empower autistic individuals and their families to advocate for the best possible services and support structures for themselves and/or their loved ones. Our team is committed to our ASCV Options Policy, and we believe that successful programs and services vary depending on individuals’ level of support needs.
We believe that effectively advocating at local, state, and national levels is imperative to improving services and strengthening protections. This requires unifying the voice of the autism community and integrating legislation priorities across federal, state, and local levels in a coordinated manner. Thank you for joining our efforts!