BILL NUMBER: AJR 9 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member John A. Perez
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan, Chesbro, Coto, De Leon, Eng, Feuer,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Hall, Hernandez, Hill, Huber,
Huffman, Jones, Lieu, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Monning, Nava,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, and Yamada)
(Coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Liu, Pavley, Wright, and
Yee)
FEBRUARY 26, 2009
Relative to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of
2006.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 9, as amended, John A. Perez. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment
Modernization Act of 2006.
This measure would urge the Congress and President of the United
States to enact legislation that would provide for a 3-year extension
of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006,
including the existing formula-based funding for states with
maturing names-based HIV reporting systems, from its current
sunset on September 30, 2009, to September 30, 2012.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a
life-threatening, incurable disease that has caused an estimated 25
million deaths worldwide; and
WHEREAS, As of November 1, 2008, the California Department of
Public Health reported that approximately 151,921 individuals have
been diagnosed with AIDS in California since 1983, of whom 66,014 are
living with AIDS, while more than 170,000 Californians are estimated
to be living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus
that causes AIDS; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to Section 131019 of the Health and Safety Code,
the Office of AIDS, within the California Department of Public
Health, has lead responsibility for coordinating state programs,
services, and activities relating to HIV and AIDS; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the Office of AIDS is to assess, prevent,
and interrupt the transmission of HIV and provide for the needs of
infected Californians by identifying the scope and extent of HIV
infection, disseminating timely and complete information, assuring
high-quality preventive, early intervention, and care services that
are appropriate, accessible, and cost effective, to promote the
effective use of available resources, and to provide leadership
through a collaborative process of policy and program development,
implementation, and evaluation; and
WHEREAS, The State of California, through its Office of AIDS, and
in collaboration with county and local governments and private health
care providers, has developed a complex and interdependent system of
HIV/AIDS care and treatment that relies on federal financial
participation through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization
Act of 2006, Public Law 109-415, to assist the state in meeting the
growing health care and social service needs of the people living
with HIV disease, including life-saving antiretroviral medications,
primary health care, hospice care, home health, supportive services,
and substance abuse counseling; and
WHEREAS, The State of California, together with county and local
governments and private health care providers within the state,
received direct funding in excess of three hundred twenty million
dollars ($320,000,000) through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS
Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 in the 2007-08 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of
2006 sunsets on September 30, 2009; and
WHEREAS, The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of
2006 requires the use of names-based HIV data to determine the
allocation of formula funding to states and Part A jurisdictions, but
currently includes exceptions to the names-based HIV data
requirement for states with immature HIV data systems; and
WHEREAS, California did not institute a names-based system of HIV
data until April 17, 2006, and currently does not have a fully mature
names-based data system; and
WHEREAS, Without the protections that exist in the Ryan White
HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 for states, like
California, that do not have fully matured names-based HIV data
systems, California would likely suffer a substantial reduction in
formula funding that would devastate established treatment, care, and
support systems throughout the state; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the Congress and
President of the United States to enact legislation that would
provide for a three-year extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS
Treatment Modernization Act of 2006, including the existing
formula-based funding for states with maturing names-based HIV
reporting systems, from its current sunset on September 30,
2009, to September 30, 2012. This extension will protect funding for
California through the act, preserve existing systems of treatment,
care, and other vital services for people living with HIV/AIDS, and
ensure that California and other states have sufficient time to
mature their names-based HIV case reporting systems; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States.