State Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, is pictured speaking at a news conference in June in Harrisburg.

State Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-Braddock, had asked for the hearing. It will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Room 205 of the Ryan Office Building and be livestreamed youtube.com/live/-0WdZlhsORs.

“It’s our responsibility as lawmakers to make sure our policymaking is guided by science, not speculation,” said Salisbury, who chairs the Pennsylvania Autism Caucus and is the first person with autism to hold this position. “I am grateful to the House Majority Policy Committee for convening this hearing, which will feature medical professionals, researchers and experts on the autism spectrum to ensure our policymaking is informed by science and medical evidence–not junk science and speculation.”

Salisbury said she believes the hearing will be an important first step and that she looks forward to continuing conversations with experts so that the path forward is guided by science, not fear or confusion.

Salisbury wants the hearings to gather testimony from medical professionals, researchers and experts on the autism spectrum, with a focus on emerging research, risk communication and public health messaging. Salisbury emphasized that the goal is to ensure Pennsylvania leads the nation in thoughtful, transparent and evidence-driven legislative action on one of the most pressing public health conversations of our time.

AP Photo President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Washington, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listen.

“As chair of the Pennsylvania Autism Caucus – and as the first person with an autism diagnosis to hold this position – I believe it is our moral and legislative responsibility to seek truth, clarity and scientific guidance wherever the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s children are concerned,” Salisbury said last week. “Today’s federal announcement underscores how urgently we need expert-informed hearings to understand the full range of environmental, medical and developmental factors contributing to autism.”

During a White House news conference on Sept. 22, President Donald Trump repeatedly warned pregnant women not to take Tylenol because of the risk of autism in their children. He also fueled debunked claims that ingredients in vaccines or timing shots close together could contribute to rising rates of autism. Trump announced during the event that the Food and Drug Administration would begin notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen “can be associated” with an increased risk of autism, but did not immediately provide justification for the new recommendation, according to the Associated Press. Trump also urged not giving Tylenol to young children, but scientists say that research indicates autism develops in the fetal brain.

Robert F. Kennedy, federal health secretary, announced during the news conference that at Trump’s urging, he was launching a new all-agency effort to uncover all the factors that could be contributing to autism, a question scientists have been researching for decades.

Salisbury said the federal advisory has sparked renewed national discussion about the importance of precautionary guidance, public awareness and evidence-based policymaking surrounding autism and prenatal health.

“Autistic individuals and our families deserve to know that our lawmakers are listening to data, to doctors and to lived experiences,” she said.