IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1400 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 26, 2010 Ms. Lee of California submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and for other purposes.

Whereas nearly 3,000,000 Americans self-identified as Caribbean American in the 2000 Census; Whereas due to ongoing racial and ethnic health disparities Caribbean Americans face poor health, premature death, low-quality health care, and an additional community stigma regarding HIV/AIDS and its causes; Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 1,106,400 people were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2006 and that over 232,700 were unaware that they were infected; Whereas the CDC recognizes continuing racial and ethnic disparities among people with HIV/AIDS and cites working to end such disparities as a key initiative in the fight against HIV/AIDS; Whereas the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 240,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean at the end of 2008 and that an additional 20,000 were newly infected, making the region the second-most affected by HIV in the world; Whereas UNAIDS estimates that approximately 12,000 people in the Caribbean died of AIDS during 2008, making it one of the leading causes of death in the Caribbean among adults between the ages of 15 to 49 years old; Whereas according to the Bureau of the Census, immigration to the United States from the Caribbean has increased every decade since 1941, with 978,800 Caribbean emigrants entering the United States from 1991 to 2000; Whereas according to the Department of Homeland Security, 2,703,868 people coming from the Caribbean have obtained legal permanent status in the United States since 1980, including 134,744 in 2008 alone; Whereas, on June 8, 2006, the first annual National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was organized to encourage Caribbean American and Caribbean-born individuals across the United States and its territories, to get educated, get tested, get treated, and get involved; and Whereas June 8th of each year has been established as National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the goals and ideals of National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and recognizes the fifth anniversary of observing such day; (2)encourages State and local governments, including their public health agencies, to recognize such day, to publicize its importance among their communities, and to encourage Caribbean Americans, Caribbean-born individuals, and all people in the United States and its territories to know their status and undergo testing for HIV; (3)encourages national, State, and local media organizations to carry messages in support of National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; and (4)supports the development of a national AIDS strategy with clear goals and objectives to reduce new HIV infections, especially among communities of color.