Pass the Autistic Rights & Dignity Package

We demand immediate passage of the Autistic Rights & Dignity Package—S28A/A1006B (end subminimum wage), Santabarbara's restraint reform bill, A10315/S8640 (autism state employment), S3898 (early autism screening), A7363 (Communication Bill of Rights), and S5107 (expanded autism therapy coverage). The crisis is urgent. Autistic adults face an 85% unemployment rate. Black autistic children are diagnosed nearly three years later than white peers, and are disproportionately subjected to restraint and seclusion in schools. One in four families with an autistic child face food or housing insecurity. These bills save lives. S28A/A1006B would make New York the 17th state to end subminimum wage exploitation. A10315/S8640 creates a pathway to stable state employment. S3898 mandates early screening starting at 12 months to close the diagnosis gap. A7363, which passed the Assembly, affirms that every person has the right to communicate in their preferred manner—crucial for nonspeaking autistic people. S5107 expands insurance coverage for multiple therapy modalities. To those who say this is too costly: The cost of warehousing autistic people in poverty, institutions, and abusive settings is far higher—in human and economic terms. This is a grassroots demand. Disability rights organizations across the state are mobilizing. In 2026, primaries will be decided by who acts for the most marginalized.