[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 24 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 24

   Expressing the sense of Congress on the need for a national AIDS 
                               strategy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 2009

   Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Waters, Mr. Waxman, Mrs. 
   Christensen, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Meeks of New York) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress on the need for a national AIDS 
                               strategy.

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 
        1,000,000 people are currently living with HIV in the United States;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 56,300 
        individuals were newly infected with HIV in 2006;
Whereas approximately 25 percent of individuals with HIV are unaware that they 
        are infected;
Whereas the estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention utilizes 
        a new methodology that has resulted in more accurate estimates of new 
        infections than the previous methodology;
Whereas previous estimates of HIV infection rates undercounted the rate of 
        infection by 40 percent;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the 
        leading transmission category of HIV infection is male-to-male sexual 
        contact, followed by heterosexual contact and injection drug use;
Whereas men who have sex with men (MSM) have represented an increasing share of 
        new HIV infections over the past decade, with 57 percent of all new 
        infections in 2006 occurring among MSM;
Whereas the 2000 United States Census noted that African-Americans account for 
        approximately 13 percent of the population of the United States, but in 
        2006 African-Americans accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections;
Whereas, of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 who were diagnosed 
        with HIV between 2001 and 2005, more than 60 percent were African-
        American;
Whereas young gay men of color bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic, 
        with more new infections in 2006 occurring among 13 to 29 year old 
        African-American MSM than among any other subpopulation of MSM;
Whereas the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American adults and adolescents 
        is 10 times higher than that of their White counterparts and the rate of 
        diagnoses for Black women is nearly 23 times the rate for White women;
Whereas, in 2006, Black women accounted for 61 percent of new HIV infections 
        among women and had an infection rate that was almost 15 times higher 
        than that of White women;
Whereas AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women between the ages of 
        25 and 34;
Whereas the Black AIDS Institute notes that there are more African-Americans 
        living with HIV in the United States than there are people living with 
        HIV in 7 out of the 15 focus countries served by the President's 
        Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that socioeconomic 
        issues impact the rates of HIV infection among Blacks, and studies have 
        found an association between higher AIDS incidence and lower incomes;
Whereas, in 2006, Hispanics accounted for 18 percent of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses, 
        but account for approximately 15 percent of the overall population, 
        according to the Bureau of the Census;
Whereas, in 2005, HIV/AIDS was the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanic 
        men and women between the ages of 35 and 44;
Whereas, in 2006, Hispanic women were 5 times more likely to have AIDS than non-
        Hispanic White women;
Whereas studies have found that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are less 
        likely to report having sought HIV testing than other ethnic groups; 
        have limited access to culturally and linguistically competent HIV/AIDS 
        related education and health care; are more likely to be diagnosed at a 
        later stage of disease; and are less likely, if diagnosed, to use HIV 
        case management services, housing assistance, substance use treatment, 
        or health education services;
Whereas, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, funding for domestic HIV 
        prevention programs was decreased by more than $40,000,000 in the 5-year 
        period beginning with fiscal year 2003, despite the evidence that HIV 
        infections continue to increase in at-risk communities;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are engaging in outreach 
        programs to increase HIV testing in jurisdictions with the highest AIDS 
        case rates among African-Americans, and those outreach programs are 
        expected to identify approximately 20,000 previously undiagnosed cases;
Whereas, despite those efforts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
        have noted that ``new strategies are warranted to increase HIV testing, 
        particularly among persons who are disproportionately affected by HIV 
        infection'';
Whereas the United States must do more to address the disproportionate impact of 
        HIV and AIDS in minority communities;
Whereas the United States needs to address the stigma faced by individuals 
        living with HIV and AIDS and help communities have an open discussion 
        about HIV and the behaviors that contribute to increased transmission 
        rates;
Whereas the United States needs to ensure that prevention efforts are founded on 
        a base of scientific evidence and reinforce interventions that have 
        proven successful;
Whereas the United States must do more to provide education and testing in the 
        communities most at risk;
Whereas the United States needs to involve individuals living with HIV and AIDS 
        in the development of policies and programs regarding prevention and 
        treatment; and
Whereas the United States needs to develop a comprehensive national AIDS 
        strategy that will unite efforts to prevent new HIV infections, treat 
        HIV and AIDS, reduce stigma, and increase education about HIV and 
        associated conditions: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) calls upon the President to develop a national AIDS 
        strategy, with the input of individuals living with HIV and the 
        communities that have been adversely impacted by the AIDS 
        epidemic;
            (2) calls upon the Federal Government to partner with 
        African-American communities, particularly faith-based groups 
        and community-based organizations, to develop strategies to 
        reduce and reverse the impact of the epidemic upon Black 
        communities;
            (3) calls upon the Department of Health and Human Services 
        to increase education and outreach regarding HIV prevention, 
        testing, and treatment, to ensure that all people in the United 
        States are aware of how to protect themselves from infection; 
        and
            (4) calls upon the people of the United States to educate 
        themselves about HIV infection and the ways in which they can 
        protect themselves.
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