Washington, DC – September 29, 2008 – Congress has approved legislation to repeal the federal law requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to utilize an outdated HIV/AIDS testing protocol.

This legislation (S. 2162), which will improve the treatment and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other health care concerns, included legislation originally introduced by Representative Doyle as a freestanding bill that would modernize the HIV testing policies of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (H.R. 6114, the Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Act of 2008 or the “SUNSET Act”).  S. 2162 is expected to be signed into law by the President in several days.

Congressman Doyle released the following statement today:

“S. 2162 will do a lot to improve the quality of care our veterans and their families receive,” Congressman Doyle said after the passage of this bill.  “I am very pleased that the House and Senate approved this legislation.  Our veterans deserve no less.”

“I’m especially pleased that the final version of this bill contains my legislation allowing the VA to adopt up-to-date policies that would improve the health care provided to veterans with HIV/AIDS,” Congressman Doyle added.  “The current HIV testing policies used by the VA were mandated by Congress 20 years ago.  They fail to reflect everything we’ve learned about HIV testing and treatment over the last two decades. 

“Under the VA’s current outdated testing policies, half of all HIV-positive veterans in the VA health care system don’t get diagnosed until they’ve already suffered significant damage to their immune systems.  Many of these veterans are already receiving health care services through the VA.  Diagnosing these veterans earlier would enable the VA to provide them with medical care that could extend their life expectancy substantially and improve their quality of life.  Consequently, I believe that the VA should adopt a more modern policy on HIV/AIDS testing, including the testing of all incoming patients, for HIV/AIDS unless a patient specifically opts out. 

“The VA wants to adopt such policies – while maintaining its counseling and data privacy policies – but since the VA’s HIV testing policies are mandated by law, Congress must enact a new law to change them.  That’s why I introduced the Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Act of 2008.  Today we’ve brought the VA’s HIV/AIDS testing policy into the 21st Century.”

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