[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 96 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 96

           Supporting the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 4, 2017

 Ms. Lee (for herself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Esty of Connecticut, Mr. 
  Ellison, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mrs. Watson 
  Coleman, Mr. Takano, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Deutch, Mrs. 
Beatty, Mr. Payne, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Hanabusa, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Clarke 
 of New York, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, and Mr. 
  Cicilline) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
   the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
           Supporting the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day.

Whereas since the identification of AIDS in 1981, an estimated 76,100,000 people 
        have been infected with HIV, and more than 35,000,000 people have died 
        of AIDS worldwide;
Whereas, in 2016, an estimated 1,800,000 people were newly infected with HIV, 
        19,500,000 people living with HIV (53 percent of the total) had access 
        to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, and 1,000,000 people died of the 
        disease;
Whereas, worldwide, 36,700,000 people are living with HIV, but only 54 percent 
        of whom know they are infected;
Whereas progress in reducing new HIV infections among adults has slowed since 
        2010, remaining static at 1,700,000 new infections each year;
Whereas progress has been made globally in reducing mother-to-child transmission 
        of HIV, with new infections among children declining 47 percent since 
        2010;
Whereas girls and women make up more than half of all people living with HIV 
        worldwide;
Whereas young women and adolescent girls bear a disproportionate burden of HIV 
        worldwide (18,600,000);
Whereas HIV is the third leading cause of death among women aged 15 to 29 
        globally;
Whereas HIV remains the leading cause of death among women aged 30 to 49 
        globally;
Whereas low-income and middle-income countries continue to bear the brunt of the 
        AIDS pandemic, with sub-Saharan Africa serving as the home of 69 percent 
        of all adults and children living with HIV, 56 percent of whom are women 
        and girls;
Whereas people living with HIV/AIDS are frequently susceptible to other 
        infections, such as hepatitis C and tuberculosis;
Whereas at least one-third of those living with HIV are infected with latent 
        tuberculosis, which remains the leading cause of death among people 
        living with HIV;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in 
        the United States, 1,100,000 people are living with HIV and 14 percent 
        of those are not aware of their status;
Whereas in the United States, more than 700,000 people with AIDS have died since 
        the beginning of the epidemic, including nearly 13,000 in 2014;
Whereas each year nearly 40,000 people become newly diagnosed with HIV in the 
        United States;
Whereas minority communities are disproportionately affected by HIV in the 
        United States;
Whereas the CDC estimates that African Americans account for almost half (45 
        percent) of all new infections and represent more than one-third of all 
        people living with HIV in the United States, despite comprising just 12 
        percent of the population;
Whereas in the United States, African-American women are 18 times more likely to 
        become newly infected with HIV than White women, and Hispanic women are 
        5 times more likely to have AIDS than non-Hispanic White women;
Whereas among all women diagnosed with HIV at the end of 2014, an estimated 60 
        percent were African American, 17 percent were White, and 17 percent 
        were Hispanic or Latina;
Whereas, in 2015, youth aged 13 to 24 accounted for more than 20 percent of all 
        new HIV diagnoses in the United States, with nearly half of youth aged 
        18 to 24 unaware of their status;
Whereas men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly young MSM of color, are 
        the population most affected by HIV;
Whereas, in 2015, MSM accounted for 82 percent of new diagnoses among men and 67 
        percent of all new infections;
Whereas the national opioid epidemic is a threat to a resurgence of HIV cases 
        among people who inject drugs (PWID), with an estimated 10 percent of 
        new cases attributable to injection drug use;
Whereas Southern States bear the greatest burden of HIV in the United States, 
        accounting for half of new infections in 2014;
Whereas in order to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, on 
        August 18, 1990, Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS 
        Resources Emergency (CARE) Act to provide primary medical care and 
        essential support services for people living with HIV who are uninsured 
        or underinsured;
Whereas the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides services and support for over 
        half of all people diagnosed with HIV in the United States and has been 
        reauthorized by Congress four times since it was first created (1996, 
        2000, 2006, and 2009);
Whereas to further focus attention on the HIV/AIDS epidemic among minority 
        communities in the United States, in 1998 the Minority AIDS Initiative 
        was established to provide funds to State and local institutions and 
        organizations to best serve the healthcare costs and support the needs 
        of racial and ethnic minorities living with HIV/AIDS;
Whereas the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) released an update of the 
        National HIV/AIDS Strategy targeting reducing new infections, increasing 
        access to care, reducing disparities, and achieving a more coordinated 
        response by 2020;
Whereas to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, in 2000, Congress passed the 
        Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act, providing the first 
        contribution and the founding framework for what became the Global Fund 
        to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria, which provides grants to 
        developing countries to combat the 3 diseases;
Whereas, since the Global Fund was created in 2002, donors have pledged more 
        than $41,000,000,000 in funding, of which $13,200,000,000 has been 
        donated by the United States;
Whereas, as of 2016, the Global Fund has supported lifesaving ARV therapy for 
        more than 11,000,000 people living with HIV, provided 17,400,000,000 
        people with testing and treatment for TB, and distributed over 
        795,000,000 insecticide treated nets to fight malaria;
Whereas in order to further address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, in 2003, 
        Congress and the White House created the President's Emergency Plan for 
        AIDS Relief (PEPFAR);
Whereas, in 2013, Congress extended the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS 
        Relief (PEPFAR) through 2018 with the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight 
        Act of 2013 to continue to address HIV, TB, and malaria;
Whereas PEPFAR is currently supporting treatment for 11,500,000 men, women, and 
        children; critical care and support for 6,200,000 orphans and vulnerable 
        children; and in fiscal year 2016, PEPFAR supported HIV testing and 
        counseling for more than 74,300,000 people, including 11,500,000 
        pregnant women;
Whereas as a result of these efforts, more than 11,000,000 AIDS-related deaths 
        and nearly 16,000,000 HIV infections have been averted worldwide since 
        PEPFAR began;
Whereas the international community has repeatedly and collectively committed to 
        the goals of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030 and creating an AIDS-
        free generation;
Whereas the concept of World AIDS Day originated in 1988 and was established to 
        focus attention on the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
Whereas December 1 is now recognized as World AIDS Day and has been recognized 
        by governments, lawmakers, and organizations around the world; and
Whereas World AIDS Day 2017 is focused on increasing impact through 
        transparency, accountability, and partnerships: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day and 
        recognizes the 29th anniversary of observing this day;
            (2) commends the President, State, and local governments, 
        including their public health agencies, for recognizing this 
        day, for publicizing its importance among their communities, 
        and for encouraging individuals to undergo testing for HIV;
            (3) commends national, State, and local media organizations 
        for carrying messages in support of World AIDS Day;
            (4) supports the goal of ending HIV/AIDS, both in the 
        United States and around the world;
            (5) supports continued funding for prevention, care, 
        treatment services, and research programs for persons living 
        with HIV/AIDS in the United States, including, through the Ryan 
        White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act, the Minority HIV/AIDS 
        Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
        National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental 
        Health Services Administration, the Office of Minority Health, 
        and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
            (6) supports the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS 
        Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020 (NHAS) and 
        achieving the goals within the NHAS Federal Action Plan;
            (7) supports continued funding for PEPFAR and the Global 
        Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to provide 
        prevention, care, and treatment to combat HIV/AIDS in low-
        income and middle-income countries;
            (8) supports the goal of improving access to comprehensive 
        HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support programs;
            (9) supports the goal of protecting human rights for all 
        people, including vulnerable and marginalized populations; and
            (10) supports efforts to address the factors that make 
        populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS by combatting poverty and 
        hunger, expanding educational opportunities for children, and 
        empowering women and girls.
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