Pritzker issues order protecting privacy of people with autism in Illinois
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is taking steps to protect the privacy of people with autism.
The governor on Wednesday signed an executive order restricting the unauthorized collection, storage, and sharing of autism-related medical data for Illinois residents.
"Every Illinoisan deserves dignity, privacy, and the freedom to live without fear of surveillance or discrimination" Pritzker said in a news release. "As Donald Trump and DOGE threaten these freedoms, we are taking steps to ensure that our state remains a leader in protecting the rights of individuals with autism and all people with disabilities."
The order is in response to recent maneuvers by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy announced a plan Wednesday to collect medical data from people on Medicare and Medicaid, which he said will be used to study the root causes of autism spectrum disorder.
Last month, Kennedy said HHS will undertake a "massive testing and research effort" to determine the cause of autism.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic who has pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability, said the effort will be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists.
Advocacy groups have called the approach misguided.
