An Act creating a scholarship fund to increase the number of medical providers who are knowledgeable in autism

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Patrick O'Connor

Establishes a scholarship fund to grow autism-trained medical providers, awarding three annual scholarships to UMMS, nursing, and dentistry students focused on autism.

Overview

Purpose: Establish a dedicated scholarship fund aimed at increasing the number of medical providers who are knowledgeable about autism.

Sponsor: Patrick M. O’Connor (Senate sponsor).

Introduction status: Proposed bill introduced in the 2025-2026 Massachusetts General Court (introduced November 29, 2025; related docket information shows a companion filing earlier in 2025).

Scope: Applies to students in specific state-related health education programs in Massachusetts.

Key Provisions

Establishment of a scholarship fund: Creates a fund specifically designed to increase the number of medical providers with expertise in autism.

Eligibility for applicants: Students who are:

Attending the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS),
Enrolled in state-run/public nursing programs,
Enrolled in state-run/public dentistry programs, and who are either:
Studying issues related to autism, or
Planning to work with individuals with autism after graduation.

Scholarships awarded annually: Three scholarships are to be awarded each year—one to a student at UMMS, one to a student in a state-run/public nursing program, and one to a student in a state-run/public dentistry program.

Administrative language: The bill uses the phrase “Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule, or regulation to the contrary,” signaling that the fund would operate outside ordinary existing constraints or mandates to the extent necessary to implement the scholarship program.

Funding details: The text provided does not specify the source of funds, the size of each scholarship, or administrative mechanisms for awarding the awards.

Who Would Be Affected

Eligible students in Massachusetts:

UMMS students,
Students in state-run/public nursing programs,
Students in state-run/public dentistry programs, who are focusing on autism or intend to pursue careers serving autistic individuals.

Institutions:

University of Massachusetts Medical School,
State-run/public nursing schools,
State-run/public dentistry schools.

Beneficiaries likely include autistic individuals and families who would gain access to providers with autism-specific training.

Funding, Administration, and Timeline

Funding: Not specified in the text provided.

Administration: Not specified (no details on how the fund would be managed, criteria beyond program type and autism focus).

Timeline: Scholarships would be awarded annually (three scholarships per year). There is no explicit start date beyond the annual cadence; the bill proposes ongoing yearly awards if enacted.

Context and Notes

The bill previously had related activity (a similar matter filed in a prior session: Senate No. 842 of 2023-2024).

As a proposed bill, there is no enacted status yet, and no appropriation or administrative plan is described in the provided text.

This summary focuses on the substantive provisions and potential impact of SD 479 as introduced, highlighting how it would operate, who it would affect, and what information is not specified in the bill text.

Bill