House Joint Resolution 560 is a commemorative resolution honoring the Faison Center on its 25th anniversary of service to Virginia. The resolution recounts the organization’s growth from the original Faison School for Autism, founded in 1999 with four students, into a broader center offering early education, school-based services, adult services, and community-integrated housing for adults with autism. It also highlights the center’s research in behavior analysis, its partnerships to raise autism awareness, and its role in serving children and adults with developmental disabilities across the Commonwealth.
The resolution specifically recognizes the Faison Center’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that its schools were among the first in Virginia to reopen for in-person instruction. It also memorializes co-founder Alan Kirshner and directs the Clerk of the House to present a copy of the resolution to the organization’s president and CEO, W. Brian McCann, as an expression of legislative admiration.
Impact
HJR 560 does not change state law, create new programs, or appropriate funds. Its legal effect is limited to a formal legislative commendation entered into the record and presented to the Faison Center. The practical impact is symbolic: it publicly recognizes the organization’s work in autism services, early childhood education, adult support services, and applied research, while reinforcing legislative support for services for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding the resolution is strongly positive and unanimous in tone. The bill was agreed to by both chambers, and the text itself is highly laudatory, emphasizing the Faison Center’s innovation, community impact, and dedication to individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. The resolution also conveys respect for the late co-founder Alan Kirshner and appreciation for the center’s staff and leadership.
Contention
There is no evident controversy or substantive opposition in the available record. Because the measure is a ceremonial joint resolution, it does not appear to have generated policy debate, committee dispute, or recorded dissent. The only notable emphasis is on recognition of the Faison Center’s role in autism services, its pandemic-era reopening decisions, and its broader advocacy for people with developmental disabilities.