1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing as a concerned constituent to urge you to oppose Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposed initiative to collect and centralize private medical information from autistic individuals for a new national registry and autism study. This plan, led by the National Institutes of Health, would amass sensitive health records from federal and commercial databases—including pharmacy chains, lab results, insurance claims, and even data from smartwatches—without clear consent or adequate privacy protections for those affected. Disability rights advocates and privacy experts have expressed grave concerns about the ethical, legal, and practical implications of this unprecedented data collection. There are unanswered questions about how data will be used, who will have access, and whether individuals can opt out or even be notified about the use of their personal information. RFK Jr.’s rhetoric around autism is stigmatizing and based on debunked theories, and his administration has a troubling history of disregarding scientific standards and privacy safeguards. Creating a registry of autistic people risks discrimination, breaches of confidentiality, and a dangerous step backward in respecting the rights and dignity of disabled Americans. I urge you to stand with the disability community and privacy advocates by opposing this initiative and demanding transparency, consent, and robust privacy protections for all medical research involving vulnerable populations. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.