ACT No. VI of 2022 AN ACT to amend the Persons within the Autism Spectrum (Empowerment) Act, Cap. 557, and to provide for other matters ancillary or consequential thereto.

I assent.

(L.S.)

GEORGE VELLA

President

4th February, 2022

ACT No. VI of 2022

AN ACT to amend the Persons within the Autism Spectrum

(Empowerment) Act, Cap. 557, and to provide for other matters

ancillary or consequential thereto.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the House of Representatives, in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:-

The short title of this Act is the Persons within the Autism Short title.

Spectrum (Empowerment) (Amendment) Act, 2022 and this Act shall

be read and construed as one with the Persons within the Autism Cap. 557.

Spectrum (Empowerment) Act, hereinafter referred to as the "principal

Act".

Article 2 of the principal Act shall be amended as follows

Amendment of

article 2 of the

principal Act.

(1) immediately after the definition "Council" there shall

be added the following new definition

" "implementing entities" means entities mentioned

in article 4(4), being line Ministries or other Government

entities that would, by virtue of their competences, be

directly involved in the implementation of specific

measures emanating from the Autism State Support Plan

referred to in article 11;";

(2)

immediately after the definition "Minister" there

shall be added the following new definition

" "monitoring entities" means entities mentioned in

article 4(4) or (5), that do not fall within the definition of

implementing entities in terms of the Act;";

(3) immediately after the definition "prescribe" there

shall be added the following new definition

" "UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism"

means the UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism

established in terms of article 5(3) of the United Nations

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Act.".

Article 4 of the principal Act shall be amended as follows

(1) in sub-article (1) thereof, the words "eleven

members" shall be substituted by the words "thirteen members";

(2) in sub-article (2) thereof, the words "knowledgeable

in autism spectrum" shall be substituted by the words

"knowledgeable about the autism spectrum";

(3)

in sub-article (4) thereof

(a) in paragraph (a) thereof, the words "Ministry

for Health" shall be substituted by the words "Ministry

responsible for Health";

(b) in paragraph (b) thereof, the words "Ministry

for Education and Employment" shall be substituted by the

words "Ministry responsible for Education";

(c) immediately after paragraph (b) thereof there

shall be added the following new paragraph

"(ba) the Permanent Secretary within the

Ministry responsible for Employment or his

representative;";

(d) in paragraph (c) thereof, the words "Ministry

for Social Policy and Persons with Disability" shall be

substituted by the words "Ministry responsible for the

Rights of Persons with Disability";

(e) in paragraph (d) thereof, immediately after the

words "Faculty for Social Wellbeing" there shall be added

the words "of the University of Malta";

(f) in paragraph (e) thereof, immediately after the

words "Faculty of Medicine and Surgery" there shall be

added the words "of the University of Malta";

(g) in paragraph (f) thereof, immediately after the

words "Faculty of Education" there shall be added the

words "of the University of Malta";

(h) immediately after paragraph (f) thereof there

shall be added the following new paragraph

"(fa) the Chairperson of the Centre for Labour

Studies of the University of Malta or his

representative;";

(4) in sub-article (5) thereof, the words "adult with autism

spectrum" shall be substituted by the words "adult within the autism

spectrum";

(5) immediately after sub-article (5) thereof there shall be added

the following new sub-article

"(5A) The entities referred to in sub-articles (4)(a), (b),

(ba), (c) and (h) above shall be deemed to be implementing

entities for the purposes of this Act, while the entities referred to

in sub-articles (4)(d), (e), (f), (fa) and (g), and in sub-article (5)

above shall be monitoring entities for the purposes of this Act.".

In article 6 of the principal Act, the words "in procedures Amendment of

adopted by the Council." shall be substituted by the words "in article

principal Act.

procedures adopted by the Council:", and immediately thereafter there

shall be added the following new proviso

"Provided that when the Council meets in respect of

the implementation of the Autism State Support Plan referred to

in article 11, only representatives of monitoring entities for the

purposes of this Act shall convene, together with the Chairperson

and the Secretary of the Council, while implementing entities for

the purposes of this Act shall be involved in relevant

implementation efforts through the UNCRPD National

Coordination Mechanism.".

In sub-article (1) of article 7 of the principal Act, the words Amendment of

"shall constitute a quorum." shall be substituted by the words "shall article

principal Act.

constitute a quorum:" and immediately thereafter there shall be added

the following new proviso

"Provided that when the Council meets in respect of

the implementation of the Autism State Support Plan referred to

in article 11, a simple majority of members of the Council being

either representatives of monitoring entities for the purposes of

this Act or the Chairperson of the Council shall constitute a

quorum.".

In paragraph (e) of sub-article (2) of article 10 of the principal

Act, the words "to effectively coordinate" shall be substituted by the

words "to give advice on effectively coordinating".

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 541 of the

31st January, 2022.

ANĠLU FARRUGIA

Speaker

RAYMOND SCICLUNA

Clerk of the House of Representatives

€0.54