Funding Shortfall for Autism Law Reported in 2026 Budget

Santo Domingo.- Following a direct review of the 2026 Citizen Budget, published by the General Budget Directorate (DIGEPRES), it was found that Law 34-23 does not appear as a specific budget item, institutional program, or as an expenditure conditioned by law, despite being current legislation that recognizes fundamental rights in health, education, and social inclusion.

Maxi Feliz, a defender of neurodivergent rights, a blue mother, and a social activist, publicly denounced the lack of allocation of sufficient and specific funds in the 2026 General State Budget Project for the implementation of Law 34-23 on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a situation that keeps thousands of Dominican families in a state of vulnerability.

Following a direct review of the Citizen Budget 2026, published by the General Directorate of Budget (DIGEPRES), it was found that Law 34-23 does not appear as a specific budget item, institutional program, or as an expenditure conditioned by law, despite being current legislation that recognizes fundamental rights in health, education, and social inclusion.

Law 34-23 establishes in its article 53 the State’s obligation to allocate the necessary resources to guarantee its execution. The absence of a clear allocation in the 2026 budget constitutes a legal breach that affects fundamental rights protected by the Dominican Constitution and by international treaties ratified by the country.

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This budgetary omission occurs after years of waiting by the blue community, who trusted that the approval of the law would represent a real structural change. Without allocated resources, the law remains without practical effects.

Maxi Feliz recalled that the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, has publicly acknowledged that the law still does not have the necessary funds, but warned that the rights of children with autism cannot continue to be subject to future promises or budgets that omit them.

Finally, he made a firm call to the authorities to include a specific budget allocation for Law 34-23, define clear responsible parties, guarantee transparency in execution, and recognize autism as a national cause that requires real political will. “The blue community does not demand privileges. It demands compliance with the law. Because without a budget there are no rights, and prolonged waiting also violates.”