The Vermont Senate passed S.R.15, a resolution urging state agencies to protect civil rights, medical confidentiality and all aspects of personal privacy for people diagnosed with autism in light of recent federal announcements about an autism research database.

Senator Bochovsky (identified on the floor as the bill’s sponsor) told the Health and Welfare Committee and the Senate that members of the autism community contacted him with fears their private health information could be shared without consent. He said the resolution affirms that autism is a form of neurodiversity and not a disease or epidemic, and that state departments and agencies should uphold existing legal protections, including HIPAA, and ensure participation in any research database is voluntary.

"This resolution affirms our commitment to protecting the private health information and civil rights of individuals who have who have autism and affirms that autism is a neurodivergence that brings diversity and vibrance to our communities and not a disease or an epidemic," the sponsor said. The sponsor noted the resolution is modeled on an executive order from Illinois and does not create new legal rights; rather, it urges agencies to uphold existing confidentiality laws and voluntarily protect people’s data.

The resolution was reported favorably by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and will be transmitted to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Vermont’s congressional delegation, the Vermont Secretary of Human Services, the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and the governor.

The Senate ordered third reading and then passed SR15 on the same day; floor minutes record ayes prevailing. The sponsor said individuals who had requested the resolution described it as one of the first hopeful developments they had seen on the issue.