    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [May 20, 1996]
    [Pages 780-781]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Ryan White CARE Act Amendments of 1996
    May 20, 1996

        Today I have signed into law S. 641, the ``Ryan White CARE Act
    Amendments of 1996.'' This bill reflects our Nation's continuing
    commitment to care for people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as our
    efforts to extend the quality and length of their lives. The
    reauthorization of this vital program by overwhelming bipartisan
    majorities in the Congress sends a clear message that this country
    continues to care about the thousands of our fellow citizens affected by
    the AIDS epidemic. Under my Administration, funding for the Ryan White
    CARE Act grants has more than doubled since fiscal year 1993.
        This bill would authorize appropriations during fiscal years 1996-
    2000 for grants that fund medical and support services to people with
    HIV and AIDS across the Nation. Under S. 641, the Ryan White CARE
    programs will continue partnerships between the Federal Government, the
    States, many cities, community organizations and clinics, and a broad
    array of health care providers. With its emphasis on locally determined,
    outpatient community-based care, we will relieve the fiscal burden
    caused by utilizing inappropriate and expensive inpatient care in public
    hospitals.
        Six short years ago when the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 was first
    enacted, a cumulative total of over 161,000 cases of AIDS had been
    reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
    over 100,000 Americans had died of the disease. As of March 1996, over
    530,000 cases have been reported, and there have been more than 320,000
    American deaths. AIDS is the leading cause of death for all Americans
    aged 25 to 44. It is estimated that between 600,000 and 900,000
    Americans are now living with HIV disease, and CDC estimates that
    approximately 40,000 Americans become infected every year.
        Prior to the Ryan White CARE Act, there were many communities where
    the health care infrastructure was collapsing under the sudden and
    intense burden posed by the AIDS epidemic. Many individuals with HIV
    disease were not receiving needed health care and support services.
    States, cities, and individual service providers were struggling to
    provide care for the growing numbers of people with HIV disease who
    increasingly came from disenfranchised groups, with little or no income,
    and no health insurance or other sources of support to pay for needed
    care.
        Today more than 300,000 people receive services under the various
    programs supported by the Ryan White CARE Act. These services range from
    direct provision of outpatient primary care to supportive services that
    permit people with HIV and AIDS to continue living productive,
    independent lives. Since the original enactment of the Ryan White CARE
    Act 6 years ago, the number of cities eligible for special

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    assistance has grown from 16 to 49, reflecting the growth in the number
    of people needing services.
        Despite this harsh reality, the investment in research to find a
    treatment and cure for HIV disease is making progress. The rapid
    approval of a new class of anti-HIV therapies offers new hope that this
    virus can be held in check for extended periods of time. As soon as we
    learned of the benefits of these new therapies, I proposed--and the
    Congress then passed--a $52 million Budget Amendment for fiscal year
    1996 so people with HIV could purchase these and other medications. We
    have also learned that by administering the drug AZT, we can reduce the
    transmission of HIV infection from mothers to infants by approximately
    two-thirds.
        The Ryan White CARE Act provides the mechanisms and the resources to
    translate these and other research advances into practice by providing
    access to state of the art health care for thousands of Americans living
    with HIV and AIDS. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program, funded under Title
    II of the Ryan White CARE Act, will help make life-saving and life-
    extending treatments available to people who could not otherwise afford
    them. The implementation of the voluntary prenatal counseling and
    testing guidelines through Ryan White funded programs should
    dramatically reduce transmission of HIV infection to unborn babies.
        There is a long way to go toward finding a cure or a vaccine for HIV
    and AIDS. Until then, the Ryan White CARE Act programs will continue to
    help people with HIV disease get the care-related services they need.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,
    May 20, 1996.

    Note: S. 641, approved May 20, was assigned Public Law No. 104-146.