CIPTEA AND ROMEO MION LAW

THE RIGHT TO THE AUTISM ID IN BRAZILIAN STATE LEGISLATION

Abstract

This study analyzes how Brazilian states have legally implemented the Autism Spectrum Disorder Identification Card (CIPTEA), established nationwide by Law No. 13,977/2020 (the Romeo Mion Law). Using a descriptive-exploratory documental approach, it was examined the official publications and legislative website portals of Brazil’s 26 states and the Federal District up to May 2025, employing keywords related to CIPTEA and its synonyms. The review found 16 states with laws or decrees aligned with the Romeo Mion Law, eight states maintaining autism identification cards enacted before 2020, one state with a general disability-identification statute that encompasses ASD, and two states lacking any specific regulation. These findings indicate broad - yet uneven - normative adherence (92.6 %), exposing regional disparities, the North proportionally leads in specific regulations, while the Southeast and South show less uniformity and the Center-West presents a mixed picture. Although the diffusion pattern supports the hypothesis of a federal trigger, translating legislation into routine administrative practice depends on bureaucratic capacity, political will, and local activism. Significant gaps remain, pre-2020 cards lack interoperability and expiration dates, hampering future integration into the National Registry System for People with ASD (SisTEA), in states without relevant norms, potential violations of the principle of equality arise. The study concludes that, while the Romeo Mion Law constitutes a decisive normative advance, its full effectiveness demands technical harmonization, conditional intergovernmental funding, and strict data-protection oversight.