[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 130 (Friday, July 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 35651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16919]



[[Page 35651]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Limited 
Competition Announcement

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of limited competition cooperative agreement.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that it will award limited competition cooperative agreements 
for four Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements to 
the following four national AIDS organizations: AIDS Action Foundation 
(AAF), National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA), 
National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), 
and the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC).
    The purpose of these cooperative agreements is to assist people who 
work with Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act 
funded programs and other programs with an interest in HIV/AIDS, to 
understand and put into action the requirements of the CARE Act as 
reauthorized in October, 2000.
    The new requirements of the CARE Act can be summarized into the 
following primary goals:
    (1) Improving access to HIV services and addressing the unmet HIV-
related needs of people who are living with HIV, but are not in care.
    (2) Improving health outcomes for people living with HIV through 
quality management.
    (3) Increasing the service capacity of organizations in underserved 
areas to address the HIV health and support needs communities living 
with and affected by HIV.
    (4) Increasing the availability of needed resources in communities 
facing new and emerging HIV epidemics.
    (5) Increasing coordination and linkages among federally funded 
programs in communities to improve health outcomes and better use 
resources for people living with HIV.
    These goals will be achieved through the provision of targeted 
training and technical assistance to health professionals working in 
and with CARE Act funded programs and other programs providing services 
to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Health professionals will 
include administrative and direct service staff of State/local AIDS 
programs, State/local health departments, CARE Act grantees and their 
subcontractors, other AIDS service organizations (ASO) and community 
based organizations (CBO); members of CARE Act planning bodies; and 
consumers.
    HRSA will provide consultation, including administrative and 
technical assistance as needed, for the execution and evaluation of all 
aspects of these cooperative agreements. HRSA may also participate and/
or collaborate with the organizations in any workshops or meetings to 
exchange current information, opinions and best practice findings 
during these cooperative agreements.
    Authorizing Legislation: These cooperative agreements are 
authorized under Title XXVI, Part F of the Public Health Service Act, 
(Title 42, U.S.C.) as amended by Public Law 106-345, the Ryan White 
CARE Act Amendments of 2000, dated October 20, 2000.
    Background: Assistance will be provided to: AIDS Action Foundation, 
National Association of People Living with AIDS, National Association 
of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, and the National Minority AIDS 
Council. No other applications are solicited. These four organizations 
are uniquely qualified to develop and provide TA in several priority 
areas identified by Congress, HRSA and HAB staff, grantees and other 
constituents.
    These organizations have significant experience in responding to 
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In particular, their three to five years of 
experience working closely with HAB has made them intimately familiar 
with the Ryan White CARE Act funded programs and their most recent 
challenges.
    (1) The AIDS Action Foundation, founded in 1984, is the only 
organization solely dedicated to supporting the development of policies 
that improve HIV/AIDS care and services, vigorous medical research and 
effective prevention. The Foundation is a highly respected source for 
news and updates on the latest developments in AIDS related policies. 
It represents a network of 3,200 national AIDS service organizations 
whom they assist, through educational activities, in working with a 
variety of populations.
    (2) NAPWA has an extensive history responding to the diverse needs 
of those infected. They do so through national campaigns, publication 
development, provider and consumer education and training, and 
community strengthening. It has the ability to reach 40,000 people to 
forward the most up-to-date HIV/AIDS related news and information of 
the field.
    (3) NASTAD is the only officially established organization that 
represents and convenes the State and Territorial AIDS Directors of all 
50 States and U.S. Territories. For the past nine years, the 
organization's constituents have included all the program 
administrators responsible for managing federally and state-funded HIV/
AIDS programs, including HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs funded by 
Title II of the Ryan White CARE Act, and the HIV prevention programs 
funded by the CDC.
    (4) Finally, NMAC is the only national organization founded 
specifically to develop leadership within communities of color to fight 
AIDS. NMAC has a thirteen-year history working with minority-controlled 
organizations and other representatives from communities of color to 
foster new leadership and address the unique challenges HIV/AIDS 
presents for racial/ethnic minorities. NMAC has taken a lead on helping 
minority CBOs to increase their comfort with, knowledge of, and 
proficiency in the rapid technological advancements of recent years.
    Approximately $800,000 is available in Fiscal Year 2001 for the 
first year of a 3-year project period. It is expected that awards will 
be made on or before September 30, 2001. Continuation awards within the 
project period will be made on the basis of satisfactory progress and 
the availability of funds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional technical information may 
be obtained from Rene Sterling, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and 
Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7-36, Rockville, MD 
20857. The telephone number is (301) 443-7778, the fax number is (301) 
594-2835, and the e-mail address is [email protected].

    Dated: June 29, 2001.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-16919 Filed 7-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-U