Just one day after Avonte Oquendo’s funeral drew nearly 200 mourners to Manhattan’s Church of Saint Joseph, Senator Chuck Schumer has proposed new legislation that would fund voluntary tracking devices for children with autism. Schumer presented the federal program — to be called “Avonte’s Law” — on Sunday while accompanied by Vanessa Fontaine, Oquendo’s mother. It would be similar to an already existing one that tracks seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and could also be expanded for providing “support services for families with autistic children” in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the 14-year-old’s sad end.
