WASHINGTON — Georgia’s U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is backing a bipartisan push to expand federal support for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, citing gaps in services for affected families in Georgia and across the country.
Ossoff has signed on as a cosponsor of the FASD Respect Act, which would strengthen prevention programs, boost research and create new support services through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The measure is led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
The CDC estimates as many as one in 20 school-age children may be affected by FASD, though many families struggle to access adequate care or resources.
“Each child in Georgia deserves every opportunity to succeed,” Ossoff said in a statement. “That is why I am working with both parties to expand much-needed resources for children with disabilities across Georgia and the nation.”
The bill would establish federally designated Centers of Excellence to coordinate services, support early intervention and increase public awareness of the disorder.
Ossoff has made disability-related policy a recurring focus. In August, he partnered with Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., to introduce legislation aimed at helping small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. Earlier this year, he cosponsored the bipartisan ENABLE Act, which would extend tax benefits to help people with disabilities save for long-term needs.
In January, President Joe Biden signed Ossoff’s Think Differently Database Act into law, directing federal health officials to build a comprehensive website detailing available disability-related resources for Georgians and families nationwide.
A link to the full FASD Respect Act is available here.
