From our friends at Safeminds:

The time is now to take action to protect our families—H.R. 4919, Kevin and Avonte’s Law of 2016, addresses wandering incidents and fatalities in children with developmental disabilities. If passed the bill would:

• Ensure that grants from the U.S. Department of Justice can be used by state and local law enforcement agencies and nonprofits for education and training programs to proactively prevent and locate missing individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
  
  
• Make resources available to provide first responders and other community officials with the training necessary to better prevent and respond to these cases.

Kevin and Avonte’s Law passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate in July. It is critical the bill gets the attention it deserves as soon as possible—we are hoping it is passed in early September. So here’s what we need you to do:

Contact your Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 4919 today.  Here are the main points for you, and feel free to add your own personal reason for calling:

• I am calling/writing to ask you to co-sponsor Kevin and Avonte’s Law, H.R. 4919.
• If enacted, H.R. 4919 would help families like mine, and would work to keep children with autism — and other developmental disabilities — safe.
• Thank you for helping to protect some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

With your help and a donation, SafeMinds can make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families living with autism. Thanks for your time and treasure! To donate to SafeMinds, click here.