[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1511-S1512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-437. A joint resolution adopted by the General Assembly 
     of the State of Illinois relative to the national 
     agricultural policy; to the Committee on Agriculture, 
     Nutrition, and Forestry.
       POM-438. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Washington relative formula grants for gifted 
     and talented education programs; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                       Senate Joint Memorial 8019

       Whereas, every child is unique and deserves a stimulating 
     and challenging education regardless of ability; and
       Whereas, true equity involves providing an appropriate 
     education to every learner; and
       Whereas, our nation's diverse student population includes 
     academically gifted boys and girls from every region and from 
     all ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; and
       Whereas, gifted children are unusually swift and efficient 
     learners in their areas of strength and therefore require in 
     those domains a different pace, depth, and level of education 
     than is ordinarily provided at their age; and
       Whereas, being gifted doesn't automatically make these 
     children better students, however, gifted students learn 
     faster and in different ways than typical students, causing 
     special educational needs; and
       Whereas, only in conjunction with appropriate school 
     challenges can gifted children realize their enormous 
     potential contribution to our society and its citizens; and
       Whereas, a nation seeking to provide for world class 
     education cannot afford to exclude its most capable students 
     from appropriate and equitable opportunities for educational 
     growth in the classroom; and
       Whereas, Congress has sent a message about the importance 
     of gifted student success by funding the Javits Program of 
     research and demonstration services with an emphasis on 
     underserved groups;
       Now, therefore, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of 
     Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative 
     session assembled, respectfully entreat that Congress 
     continue to help meet the unique special needs of gifted 
     students by including formula grants to states for gifted and 
     talented education programs (HR 637 and S 505) in its 
     consideration of the reauthorization of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act.
       Be it Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of 
     the United States, the President of the United States Senate, 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member 
     of Congress from the State of Washington.
                                  ____


                       Senate Joint Memorial 8019

       POM-439. A concurrent resolution adopted by the General 
     Assembly of the State of Indiana relative to reauthorization 
     of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act 
     (CARE); to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.

                         Concurrent Resolution

       Whereas, in Indiana, as of January 1, 2000, more than 
     10,000 cases of the expanding epidemic known as AIDS--
     Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome--have been reported;
       Whereas, the State of Indiana created a Division of HIV/STD 
     within the Department of Health, to proactively address 
     issues relating to HIV/AIDS, and which office now directly 
     administers the expenditure of Federal and State funds to 
     combat the disease;
       Whereas, due to advancements in pharmaceutical therapies 
     and an increasing focus on early intervention and treatment, 
     the number of individuals living with HIV disease has grown 
     significantly; the progression from HIV to an AIDS diagnosis 
     for many has slowed considerably as a result of these 
     therapies;
       Whereas, it is estimated that more than 6,000 residents of 
     Indiana are currently living with HIV disease;
       Whereas, it is estimated that an additional 1,300 or 21 
     percent, of Hoosiers with HIV disease are unaware of their 
     diagnosis, and hundreds of individuals know that they are 
     HIV-positive but are not receiving care regularly;
       Whereas, it is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention that there are 40,000 new HIV infections in 
     the United States each year;
       Whereas, HIV/AIDS in Indiana disproportionately impacts 
     communities of color, gay and bisexual men and women, as well 
     as economically-depressed and other underserved communities;
       Whereas, in 1999 the rate of HIV disease among Whites was 7 
     per 100,000, while the rate among Hispanics was 19.3 per 
     100,000, and the rate among African Americans was 44 per 
     100,000;
       Whereas, in 1999 the rate of HIV disease among White males 
     was 13 per 100,000, while the rate among Hispanic males was 
     29.9 per 100,000, and the rate among African American males 
     was 59.8 per 100,000;
       Whereas, in 1999 the rate of HIV disease among White 
     females was 1.3 per 100,000, while the rate among Hispanic 
     females was 8.4 per 100,000, and the rate among African 
     American females was 29.8 per 100,000;
       Whereas, the rate of HIV disease among African American 
     females more than doubled compared to the rate among White 
     females from 1998 to 1999;
       Whereas, as many as 16 percent of new HIV infections occur 
     in people under age 25, and one in eight are in young people 
     under age 22;
       Whereas, young adults ages 20-29 represent 20% of reported 
     AIDS cases, but represent 38% of newer cases of HIV 
     infection;
       Whereas, increasingly, some individuals with HIV disease 
     have also been diagnosed with substance abuse and/or mental 
     illness (dual diagnosis);
       Whereas, substance abuse is a factor in well over 50% of 
     HIV infections in some United States cities;
       Whereas, Indiana looks to the Federal Government to assist 
     the State in meeting the expanding health care and social 
     services needs of the people living with HIV disease;
       Whereas, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource 
     Emergency (CARE) Act was first adopted by Congress in 1990;
       Whereas, the Ryan White CARE Act expires on September 30, 
     2000;
       Whereas, since its inception, the Ryan White CARE Act has 
     ensured the delivery of vital medical care and treatment and 
     essential support services to thousands of Hoosiers, 
     including medical examinations, laboratory procedures and 
     evaluations, pharmaceuticals, dental care, case management, 
     transportation, housing, legal assistance, benefits education 
     and assistance, treatment education and adherence, and mental 
     health counseling;
       Whereas, in more recent years the State has developed the 
     Health Insurance Assistance Program, (HIAP), using a portion 
     of

[[Page S1512]]

     Ryan White CARE Act dollars to purchase comprehensive health 
     insurance policies for hundreds of Hoosiers through the 
     Indiana Comprehensive Health Insurance Association (ICHIA), 
     Indiana's high risk insurance pool, at roughly one-half of 
     the cost of providing medical and pharmaceutical services 
     under the State's Early Intervention Program (EIP) and AIDS 
     Drug Assistance Program (ADAP);
       Whereas, under Federal law, the Ryan White CARE Act is 
     designated as the provider of last resort; therefore, it is 
     recognized as the critical safety net program for low-income 
     uninsured or underinsured individuals;
       Whereas, the Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2000 contains 
     increased funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, and Indiana is 
     expected to receive $7,813,713 beginning April 1, 2000;
       Whereas, funding under Title II of the Ryan White CARE Act 
     pays for care, treatment and social services;
       Whereas, over 80% pay for life-extending and life-saving 
     pharmaceuticals under Indiana's AIDS Drug Assistance Program 
     (ADAP) and for comprehensive health insurance policies under 
     Indiana's Health Insurance Assistance Program (HIAP);
       Whereas, title III of the Ryan White CARE Act provides 
     funding to public and private nonprofit entities in Indiana 
     for outpatient early intervention and primary care services;
       Whereas, the goal of the Ryan White CARE Act Special 
     Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program (Part F) is 
     to advance knowledge about the care and treatment of persons 
     living with HIV/AIDS by providing time-limited grants to 
     assess models for delivering health and support services;
       Whereas, SPNS projects have supported the development of 
     innovative service models for HIV care to provide legal, 
     health and social services to communities of color, youth, 
     hard to reach populations, and those with dual diagnoses in 
     Indiana; and
       Whereas, the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center 
     (MATEC) is funded as part of Part F of the Ryan White CARE 
     Act, and in Indiana, MATEC trains clinical health care 
     providers provides consultation and technical assistance, and 
     disseminates ever-changing information for the effective 
     management of HIV disease; Therefore,
       Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the 
     State of Indiana, the House of Representatives concurring:
       Section 1. That the Indiana General Assembly affirms its 
     support of the Ryan White CARE Act, and urges the Congress of 
     the United States to expeditiously reauthorize the Act in 
     order to ensure that the expanding medical care and support 
     services needs of individuals living with HIV disease are 
     met.
       Section 2. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the President and Vice 
     President of the United States, the Senate Majority and 
     Minority Leaders, the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     and the House Minority Leader, the Chairpersons and Ranking 
     Minority Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and 
     Pensions, Appropriations, and Budget Committees, and to the 
     Chairpersons and Ranking Minority Members of the House 
     Commerce, Appropriations, and Budget Committees, and to each 
     Senator and Representative from Indiana in the Congress of 
     the United States.

                          ____________________