[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2069 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2069
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance to
prevent, treat, and monitor HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan African and other
developing countries.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 6, 2001
Mr. Hyde introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance to
prevent, treat, and monitor HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan African and other
developing countries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Access to HIV/AIDS
Prevention, Awareness, Education, and Treatment Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The HIV/AIDS pandemic has claimed 22,000,000 lives
since its inception.
(2) More than 17,000,000 individuals have died from HIV/
AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
(3) More than 36,000,000 individuals are infected with HIV,
of which approximately 25,000,000 individuals live in sub-
Saharan Africa.
(4) The HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa has grown
beyond an international public health issue to become a
humanitarian and developmental crisis.
(5) Although the HIV/AIDS pandemic has impacted the sub-
Saharan region of Africa disproportionately, HIV infection
rates are rising rapidly in India and other South Asian
countries, Brazil, Caribbean countries, and Russia, and pose a
serious threat to the security and stability in those
countries.
(6) By 2010, it is estimated that approximately 40,000,000
children worldwide will have lost one or both of their parents
to HIV/AIDS.
(7) In January 2000, the United States National
Intelligence Council released an intelligence estimate that
framed the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a security threat, noting the
relationship between the disease and political and economic
instability.
(8) The overriding priority for responding to the HIV/AIDS
crisis should be to emphasize and encourage awareness,
education, and prevention, including prevention activities that
promote behavioral change. In so doing, priority and support
should be given to nongovernmental organizations, including
faith-based organizations.
(9) An effective response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic must
also involve assistance to stimulate the development of sound
health service delivery infrastructure systems in sub-Saharan
African and other developing countries.
(10) Access to effective treatment for HIV/AIDS is
determined by issues of price, health system infrastructure,
and sustainable financing and such access can be inhibited by
the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS.
(11) An effective United States response to the HIV/AIDS
crisis must also focus on the development of HIV/AIDS vaccines
to prevent the spread of the disease as well as the development
of microbicides, effective diagnostics, and simpler treatments.
(12) The innovative capacity of the United States in the
commercial and public pharmaceutical research sectors is among
the foremost in the world, and the active participation of both
these sectors should be supported as it is critical to combat
the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.
(13) Appropriate treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS can
prolong the lives of such individuals and increase their
productivity by allowing them to lead active lives and reduce
the need for costly hospitalization for treatment of
opportunistic infections caused by HIV.
(14) United States volunteers with skills in healthcare and
HIV/AIDS counseling and prevention programs have proven
effective in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic and can be a
resource in assisting sub-Saharan African leaders of
traditional, political, business, and youth organizations in
their efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through
awareness and educational programs.
(15) Most of the HIV infected poor of the developing world
die of deadly opportunistic diseases such as tuberculosis.
Accordingly, effective HIV/AIDS treatment programs should
address the growing threat and spread of tuberculosis in the
developing world. Malaria is also a major infectious disease
that kills many individuals, particularly children.
(16) Microenterprise development programs assist
communities afflicted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and increase the
productive capacity of communities and afflicted households.
Microenterprise programs are also an effective means to support
the productive activities of healthy family members caring for
the sick and orphaned.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1)(A) combatting the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan
African and other developing countries should be a global
effort and include the financial support of all developed
countries and the cooperation of governments and the private
sector, including faith-based organizations; and
(B) the United States should provide additional funds for
multilateral programs and efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and also
seek to leverage public and private resources to combat HIV/
AIDS on a global basis through the Global Development Alliance
Initiative of the United States Agency for International
Development and other public and private partnerships with an
emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and prevention
programs;
(2)(A) in addition to HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and
prevention programs, the United States Government should
support programs that safely make available to public and
private entities in sub-Saharan African and other developing
countries pharmaceuticals and diagnostics for HIV/AIDS therapy
in order--
(i) to effectively and safely and assist such
countries in the delivery of HIV/AIDS therapy
pharmaceuticals through the establishment of adequate
health care delivery systems and treatment monitoring
programs; and
(ii) to provide treatment for poor individuals with
HIV/AIDS in such countries; and
(B) in carrying out such programs, priority consideration
for participation should be given to sub-Saharan African
countries;
(3) the United States should promote efforts to expand and
develop programs that support the growing number of children
orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
(4) treatment for HIV/AIDS should be a component of a
comprehensive international effort to combat deadly infectious
and opportunistic diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis,
that kill millions annually in the developing world;
(5) the United States Agency for International Development
should carry out HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment
programs in conjunction with effective international
tuberculosis and malaria treatment and eradication programs;
and
(6) the United States Agency for International Development
should expand and replicate successful microenterprise programs
in Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and other African countries that
provide poor families affected by HIV/AIDS with financial
services, such as life, health care, and credit insurance, and
the means to care for themselves, their children, and orphans.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS.
(a) Assistance.--Section 104(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(c)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraphs (4) through (6); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4)(A) Congress recognizes that the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS
in sub-Saharan African and other developing countries is a major global
health threat and humanitarian crisis. Accordingly, the United States
and other developed countries should provide assistance to sub-Saharan
and other developing countries to control this crisis through HIV/AIDS
prevention, treatment, monitoring, and related activities.
``(B)(i) The Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development is authorized to provide assistance to
prevent, treat, and monitor HIV/AIDS, and carry out related activities,
in sub-Saharan African and other developing countries.
``(ii) It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator should
provide an appropriate level of assistance under clause (i) through
nongovernmental organizations in Sub-African and other developing
countries affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
``(iii) The Administrator shall coordinate the provision of
assistance under clause (i) with the provision of related assistance by
the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO),
other similar international organizations, national, state, and local
governments of foreign countries, and other appropriate governmental
and nongovernmental organizations.
``(C) Assistance provided under subparagraph (B) shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, be used to carry out the following
activities:
``(i) Primarily the prevention of HIV/AIDS through--
``(I) voluntary testing and counseling; and
``(II) assistance through nongovernmental
organizations, including faith-based organizations,
particularly those organizations that utilize
volunteers, to establish and implement culturally
appropriate HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs.
``(ii) The treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS,
including--
``(I) assistance to establish and implement
programs to strengthen and broaden indigenous health
care systems infrastructure and the capacity of such
systems to deliver HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals and
otherwise provide for the treatment of individuals with
HIV/AIDS, including clinical training for indigenous
organizations and health care providers; and
``(II) assistance aimed at the prevention of
transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child.
``(iii) The monitoring of programs, projects, and
activities carried out pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii),
including--
``(I) monitoring to ensure that adequate controls
are established and implemented to provide HIV/AIDS
pharmaceuticals and other appropriate medicines to poor
individuals with HIV/AIDS; and
``(II) appropriate evaluation and surveillance
activities.
``(iv) The conduct of related activities, including--
``(I) the care and support of children who are
orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including through
innovative programs modeled on foster care and other
services designed to care for orphaned children in a
family environment; and
``(II) the development and expansion of
financially-sustainable microfinance institutions that
strengthen the economic and social viability of
communities afflicted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
including support for the savings and productive
capacity of affected poor households caring for orphans
and the provision of financial services, such as life,
health, and credit insurance.
``(D) The Administrator shall submit to Congress an annual report
of the implementation of this paragraph for the prior year.
``(E)(i) There are authorized to be appropriated to the President
to carry out this paragraph $469,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
2002 and 2003.
``(ii) Not more than three percent of the amount appropriated
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under clause (i) for a
fiscal year may be used for the administrative expenses of the Agency
in carrying out this paragraph.
``(iii) Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under clause (i) are in addition to amounts otherwise
available for such purposes and are authorized to remain available
until expended.
``(F) In this paragraph:
``(i) The term `HIV' means infection with the human
immunodeficiency virus.
``(ii) The term `AIDS' means acquired immune deficiency
syndrome.''.
(b) Availability of Assistance Under Section 104(c).--Section
104(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(c)) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (5); and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) Assistance made available under any paragraph of this
subsection, and assistance made available under chapter 4 of part II of
this Act to carry out the purposes of any paragraph of this subsection,
may be made available notwithstanding any other provision of law.''.
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FOR PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF HIV/AIDS
PHARMACEUTICALS AND RELATED MEDICINES.
(a) Assistance.--The Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall provide assistance to sub-Saharan
African and other developing countries for--
(1) the procurement of HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals, anti-viral
therapies, and other appropriate medicines; and
(2) the distribution of such HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals,
anti-viral therapies, and other appropriate medicines to
qualified national, regional, or local organizations for the
treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS in accordance with
appropriate HIV/AIDS testing and monitoring requirements and
for the prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to
child.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the President to carry out this section $50,000,000 for
fiscal year 2002.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR MULTILATERAL EFFORTS TO
PREVENT, TREAT, AND MONITOR HIV/AIDS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the President for each
of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003 such sums as may be necessary for
United States contributions to multilateral efforts to prevent, treat,
and monitor HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan African and other developing
countries. The amount authorized to be appropriated under the preceding
sentence for any fiscal year may not exceed 25 percent of the aggregate
amount proposed to be contributed for such fiscal year by all countries
for such efforts.
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