House Committee Passes CARE Act Reauthorization Bill

September 20, 2006 - As Congress nears the end of its legislative session, the House Energy and Commerce Committee took an important step toward passage of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act by voting to approve it 38 to 10.

Thanks to the support of Illinois Representatives Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky, and John Shimkus, the bill contains language that allows states like Illinois, which for years had collected HIV data by code rather than name, to have code data counted in funding distribution formulas. For the first time, these formulas are including HIV data in addition to AIDS data. The bi-cameral, bipartisan leadership also accepted language AFC supported to protect Title II consortia activities, which help develop regional systems of HIV care and are particularly critical for rural and suburban regions that struggle to identify and retain HIV specialty healthcare and support services.

“The legislation passed today is a vast improvement over the proposal submitted last year by the Bush administration and the bill introduced in the Senate by Tom Coburn,” said AFC Associate Director David Munar. “We commend the bi-cameral, bipartisan members and staff for working hard to develop the legislation and trying to strike a balance among many competing interests.”

“At the end of the day, no set of statutory requirements will replace the need for increased appropriations to meet the growing needs of low-income, uninsured people with HIV,” said AFC Policy Director Jim Pickett. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Illinois congressional delegation and AIDS advocates across the country to achieve sound reauthorization this year and to invigorate our efforts to secure desperately needed funding increases.”

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) committee will now take up the bill for review next week. If Congress does not pass the bill by the end of the year, Congress will need to take up negotiations anew when the 111th Congress convenes in January 2007. The last reauthorization enacted in 2000 expired nearly one year ago.

Stay tuned to AFC’s Statewide Advocacy Network for the latest updates on Reauthorization.

Reauthorization Powerpoint (PDF)

CARE Act Action Center

Illinois House CARE Act Reauthorization Resolution (PDF)

Federal Legislative News Archive