HR0686 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0686 LRB094 14913 RSP 49967 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, An estimated 35,000 Illinoisans are living with HIV/AIDS ; and

WHEREAS, The federal Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is critical to meeting the healthcare and support service needs of Illinoisans living with HIV who are low-income and/or uninsured; and

WHEREAS, Illinois communities rely on more than $60,000,000 in Ryan White CARE Act funding each year to provide an array of HIV-related healthcare, dental, mental health, substance abuse treatment, case management, medication reimbursement, legal assistance, housing, nutrition counseling, and other essential services; and

WHEREAS, The most recent CARE Act authorization law expired on September 30, 2005, and Congress will soon consider new legislation to shape the future direction of CARE Act programs; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a reauthorization proposal in July of 2005, that, if enacted, would severely reduce CARE Act funding for Illinois; and

WHEREAS, One of the provisions in the proposal requires funding formulas beginning in FY 2007 to include the number of HIV cases, but the U.S. government has refused to accept data from Illinois because it has collected HIV case reports by code, an option given to states in 1999; and

WHEREAS, On January 1, 2006, Illinois will begin collecting and reporting cases of HIV by name, the preferred method for the federal government, but will need additional time for the reporting system to mature so that all cases of HIV reported in Illinois can be counted toward funding formula allocations; and

WHEREAS, Other provisions recommended by HHS would result in dramatic funding reductions for AIDS-related services to suburban, rural, and urban communities across Illinois, and reduce AIDS-related healthcare and essential services; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Congress of the United States to enact legislation retaining the current "hold-harmless" provisions of the 2000 Ryan White CARE Act reauthorization, which protects jurisdictions from large, destabilizing reductions in funding; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to explore the use of scientifically-derived estimates of the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in U.S. jurisdictions for funding distribution purposes until HIV surveillance systems are sufficiently accurate and complete across the nation to fairly base funding decisions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Governor Rod Blagojevich, and each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.