III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. CON. RES. 103 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008 Mrs. Clinton submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative.

Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative was established on October 28, 1998, under the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus, during the chairmanship of Representative Maxine Waters, to target funds for the awareness, prevention, testing, and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) toward racial and ethnic minority communities and toward community-based organizations and health care providers serving these communities; Whereas HIV/AIDS is a devastating epidemic that continues to grow in communities throughout the United States; Whereas there are more than 1,000,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today; Whereas there are more than 14,000 AIDS-related deaths every year in the United States; Whereas approximately 1 in 4 of the people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States do not know they are infected; Whereas all racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS; Whereas African-Americans account for about 1/2 of new AIDS cases, although approximately 13 percent of the population as a whole is Black, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that African-Americans accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections in 2006; Whereas Hispanic-Americans account for 19 percent of new AIDS cases, although only 15 percent of the population as a whole is Hispanic, and the CDC estimates that Hispanic-Americans accounted for 17 percent of new HIV infections in 2006; Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders account for 1 percent of new AIDS cases, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives account for up to 1 percent of new AIDS cases; Whereas approximately 70 percent of new AIDS cases are racial and ethnic minorities; Whereas, in 2008, the CDC released new estimates of HIV infection, which indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006; Whereas these new estimates are approximately 40 percent higher than the CDC’s previous estimates of 40,000 new infections per year; Whereas the CDC’s data confirms that the most severe impact of HIV/AIDS continues to be among gay and bisexual men of all races, and Black men and women; Whereas the purpose of the Minority AIDS Initiative is to enable community-based organizations and health care providers in minority communities to improve their capacity to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS care and services; Whereas the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative was announced on October 28, 1998, during a roll-out event sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, which featured the participation of President Bill Clinton, Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, Representative Maxine Waters, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and representatives of HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organizations; Whereas it was announced at this roll-out that the Minority AIDS Initiative would receive an initial appropriation of $156,000,000 in fiscal year 1999; Whereas concerned Members of Congress, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Conference, continue to support the Minority AIDS Initiative; Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative continues to provide funding to community-based organizations, research institutions, minority-serving colleges and universities, health care organizations, State and local health departments, correctional institutions, and other providers of health information and services to help such entities address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the minority populations they serve; Whereas Congress codified the Minority AIDS Initiative within the most recent reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act; Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative fills gaps in HIV/AIDS outreach, awareness, prevention, treatment, surveillance, and infrastructure across communities of color; and Whereas, October 28, 2008, is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative; (2)commends the efforts of community-based organizations and health care providers in minority communities to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) care and services within the minority populations they serve; (3)encourages racial and ethnic minorities to educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS; and (4)supports the continued funding of the Minority AIDS Initiative and other Federal programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and to provide effective, compassionate treatment and care to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.