[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 51 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 51

 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness 
                                  Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2011

 Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Meeks, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. 
Waters, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Jackson of 
  Illinois, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Johnson of 
   Georgia, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. 
 Rangel, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, 
Ms. McCollum, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Berman, 
  Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Al Green of Texas, and Mr. Hastings of 
Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness 
                                  Day.

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in 
        the United States, more than 1,100,000 people are living with HIV, and 
        21 percent do not know they are infected;
Whereas each year 56,300 people become newly infected with HIV in the United 
        States, and on average, an individual is infected with HIV every 9\1/2\ 
        minutes;
Whereas a total of 597,499 people have died of AIDS in the United States from 
        the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic through 2007, and African-
        Americans account for approximately 40 percent of such deaths;
Whereas at the end of 2007, African-Americans represented 48 percent of all 
        people living with HIV in the United States, Whites represented 33 
        percent, Hispanics represented 17 percent, Asian-Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders represented 1 percent, and American Indians and Alaska Natives 
        represented less than 1 percent;
Whereas African-Americans represent approximately 12 percent of the population 
        of the United States, but accounted for 52 percent of all new HIV cases 
        diagnosed in 2008;
Whereas although African-American teens (ages 13-19) represent only 15 percent 
        of all teenagers in the United States, they accounted for 68 percent of 
        new AIDS cases reported among teens in 2007;
Whereas young gay men of color bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic, 
        with more new HIV infections in 2006 occurring among 13- to 29-year-old 
        African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) than among any other 
        subpopulation of MSM, accounting for 35 percent of new infections among 
        all MSM and 63 percent of new infections among African-American men;
Whereas in 2006, African-American 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 and 4 times higher than Hispanic 
        women;
Whereas among African-American men, the leading transmission category of HIV 
        infection is sexual contact with other men, followed by intravenous drug 
        use and heterosexual contact;
Whereas among African-American women, the leading transmission category of HIV 
        infection is heterosexual contact, followed by intravenous drug use;
Whereas the CDC notes that socioeconomic issues impact the rates of HIV 
        infection among African-Americans, and studies have found an association 
        between higher AIDS rates and lower incomes;
Whereas African-Americans are diagnosed with AIDS later than their nonminority 
        counterparts, are confronted with barriers in accessing care and 
        treatment, and face higher morbidity and mortality outcomes;
Whereas the CDC estimates that among persons whose diagnosis of AIDS had been 
        made during 1997 to 2004, African-Americans had the poorest survival 
        rates of any racial or ethnic group, with 66 percent surviving after 9 
        years compared with 67 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 
        74 percent of Hispanics, 75 percent of Whites, and 81 percent of Asians 
        and Pacific Islanders;
Whereas in 2006, HIV was the ninth leading cause of death for all African-
        Americans, and the third leading cause of death for both African-America 
        men and African-American women between the ages of 35 to 44;
Whereas in the United States as of January 6, 2011, approximately 5,154 people 
        across 10 States have been placed on waiting lists to receive AIDS 
        treatment through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program authorized through 
        the Ryan White CARE Act;
Whereas in 1998, Congress and the Clinton Administration created the National 
        Minority AIDS Initiative to help coordinate funding, build capacity, and 
        provide prevention, care, and treatment services within the African-
        American, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander, and Native American 
        communities;
Whereas the National Minority AIDS Initiative assists with leadership 
        development of community-based organizations (CBOs), establishes and 
        links provider networks, builds community prevention infrastructure, 
        promotes technical assistance among CBOs, and raises awareness among 
        African-American communities;
Whereas, on April 7, 2009, the CDC launched a new communication campaign 
        entitled ``Act Against AIDS'', to facilitate awareness, public 
        education, health literacy, health care provider marketing, and highly 
        targeted behavior change communication objectives in the fight against 
        HIV/AIDS;
Whereas as part of the ``Act Against AIDS'' campaign, the CDC launched a 
        $10,000,000, five-year partnership with 14 African-American 
        organizations to ``harness the collective strength and reach of 
        traditional, longstanding African-American institutions to increase HIV-
        related awareness, knowledge, and action within black communities across 
        the United States'';
Whereas the Black AIDS Media Partnership in conjunction with the CDC's ``Act 
        Against AIDS'' campaign launched ``Greater Than AIDS'', a public 
        information campaign designed to reach African-Americans with life-
        saving information about HIV/AIDS and to confront the stigma surrounding 
        the disease;
Whereas, on July 13, 2010, after conducting a series of town halls across the 
        country to solicit feedback from communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, the 
        White House Office of National AIDS Policy released the ``National AIDS 
        Strategy for the United States'' along with an accompanying ``Federal 
        Implementation Plan'' to achieve the goals of reducing new HIV 
        infections, increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for 
        people living with HIV, reducing HIV-related disparities and health 
        inequities, and achieving a more coordinated national response to the 
        HIV epidemic;
Whereas the first annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was organized on 
        February 23, 2001; and
Whereas February 7 of each year is now recognized as National Black HIV/AIDS 
        Awareness Day with the slogan ``Get Educated! Get Tested! Get Involved! 
        Get Treated!'', and this year the theme is ``It Takes A Village To Fight 
        HIV/AIDS'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/
        AIDS Awareness Day and recognizes the 11th 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 all encourage 
        individuals, especially African-Americans, to get tested for 
        HIV;
            (3) encourages national, State, and local media 
        organizations to carry messages in support of National Black 
        HIV/AIDS Awareness Day;
            (4) commends the work of AIDS service organizations and 
        community and faith-based organizations that are providing 
        effective, evidence-based, prevention, treatment, care, and 
        support services to people living with and vulnerable to HIV/
        AIDS;
            (5) supports the implementation of the National AIDS 
        Strategy and its goals to reduce new HIV infections, increase 
        access to care and improve health outcomes for people living 
        with HIV, reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities, 
        and achieve a more coordinated national response to the HIV 
        epidemic;
            (6) supports the strengthening of stable African-American 
        communities;
            (7) supports reducing the impact of incarceration as a 
        driver of new HIV infections within the African-American 
        community;
            (8) supports reducing the number of HIV infections in the 
        African-American community resulting from intravenous drug use;
            (9) supports effective and comprehensive HIV prevention 
        education programs to promote the early identification of HIV 
        through voluntary routine testing, and to connect those in need 
        to treatment and care as early as possible; and
            (10) supports appropriate funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, 
        care, treatment, and housing.
                                 <all>