The Autism CARES Act signed into law at the end of last month was signed into law thanks to an assist from a New Jersey lawmaker.

Sen. Bob Menendez authored the bill, which will help provide $296 million in funding for autism.

The money provided in the new law will go toward helping those on the autism spectrum find jobs, housing, general life skills and transportation.

MaryFay Narin, 28, works as a sale representative and is hoping to soon live independently.

As somebody on the spectrum, she says the law is needed for adults like her.

"It's crucial for everyone after 21," Narin says. "It makes a huge difference for them to live a fulfilled life."

New Jersey has the highest rate of autism in the country. One in 34 children in the Garden State are identified as being on the autism spectrum.

These statistics helped Menendez push for more funding for lifetime services.

"Just getting to a certain age of adulthood should not mean that you fall off the map and to have no services to fulfill your God-given potential," Menendez says.

The federal funding will also provide for $23 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study autism.