H.R.2069 - United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2002107th Congress (2001-2002)

Summary: H.R.2069 — 107th Congress (2001-2002)All Information (Except Text)

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Passed Senate amended (07/12/2002)

(Sec. 102) Requires the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a comprehensive plan to empower women to protect themselves against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

(Sec. 103) Establishes within the Department of State a presidentially appointed Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally (Coordinator).

Authorizes the President to designate the incumbent Special Representative of the Secretary of State for HIV/AIDS as Coordinator.

(Sec. 104) Requires the President to analyze and report to Congress on the emigration of critically important medical and public health personnel from sub-Saharan African countries that are acutely impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Title II: Public-Private Partnerships - (Sec. 201) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the sustainment and promotion of public-private partnerships should be a priority element of the strategy pursued by the United States to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other global health crises; and (2) the United States should systematically track the evolution of those partnerships and work with others in the public and private sector to profile and build upon those models that are most effective.

(Sec. 202) Authorizes the United States to participate in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and classifies the fund a public international organization for purposes of the International Organizations Immunities Act.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 and 2004.

(Sec. 203) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase voluntary contributions to the Vaccine Fund, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative of the Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH).

Title III: Multilateral Efforts - (Sec. 301) Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to conclude an agreement with the Paris Club of Official Creditors, as well as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the International Monetary Fund, and other appropriate multilateral development institutions to reduce the amount of debt (through debt cancellation) for countries eligible for debt relief under the Enhanced (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) HIPC initiative.

(Sec. 301) Prohibits debt reduction from being conditioned on any agreement by an impoverished country to implement or comply with policies that deepen poverty or degrade the environment.

Prohibits a country from participating in HIPC debt cancellation agreements if it has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights.

Conditions any country's eligibility to receive debt cancellation on its agreement to ensure that a set portion of the financial benefits of debt cancellation are applied to programs to: (1) combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and poverty; (2) implement participatory policymaking and budget procedures and anticorruption measures; and (3) broaden public participation and understanding of poverty reduction in that country.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003, and each fiscal year thereafter.

(Sec. 302) Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) the progress made in concluding an agreement under the International Financial Institutions Act to modify the Enhanced HIPC Initiative; and (2) the actions taken by countries to satisfy conditions of the agreement.

Title IV: Bilateral Efforts - Subtitle A: General Assistance and Programs - (Sec. 401) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance and coordination between various international organizations for the global prevention, treatment, monitoring, and control of HIV/AIDS (including the procurement and distribution of pharmaceuticals, care of children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, improvement of health care infrastructures, vaccine research and development, and development of HIV/AIDS related financial infrastructures).

Declares the sense of Congress that the President should provide an appropriate level of such assistance through nongovernmental organizations in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and other countries and areas affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

(Sec. 402) Authorizes the President to provide assistance and coordination between various international organizations to develop and implement comprehensive tuberculosis and malaria prevention, treatment, control, and elimination programs.

(Sec. 404) Requires the President to establish a program to demonstrate the feasibility of facilitating services of American health care professions in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world severely affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

(Sec. 405) Requires the Secretary of Defense to expand the Department of Defense program of HIV/AIDS prevention educational activities in sub-Saharan African countries.

(Sec. 406) Requires the President to report to designated congressional committees on the programs and activities of USAID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other relevant Executive branch agencies that are directed to the treatment of individuals in foreign countries infected with HIV or living with AIDS.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 and 2004.

Subtitle B: Assistance for Children and Families - (Sec. 412) Declares that the response of the U.S. Government should: (1) place high priority on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and the care and treatment of individuals afflicted; and (2) seek to leverage its funds to curb the pandemic by seeking matching contributions from the private sector, other national governments, and international organizations.

Requires the five-year U.S. Government strategy to: (1) provide for meeting or exceeding the goal set by the United Nations General Assembly Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS to reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 20 percent by 2005 and by 50 percent by 2010; (2) include programs to make available testing and treatment to HIV-positive women and their family members, including drug treatment and therapies to prevent mother-to-child transmission; and (3) expand programs designed to care for children orphaned by AIDS.

(Sec. 413) Requires the President to report to designated congressional committees on the activities of relevant Executive branch agencies during the reporting period to assist in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV infection.

(Sec. 414) Requires the President to establish an assistance program that would demonstrate the feasibility of providing care and treatment to orphans and other children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS in foreign countries.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 and 2004.

Title V: Business Principles - (Sec. 501) Expresses the sense of Congress that U.S. firms operating in countries affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic can make significant contributions to the U.S. effort to respond to this pandemic through the voluntary adoption of specified principles and practices, including: (1) treating HIV/AIDS in the same manner as any other illness; (2) promoting policies that eliminate discrimination and stigmatization against employees with real or perceived HIV/AIDS; (3) prohibiting compulsory HIV/AIDS testing for recruitment, promotion, or career development; (4) assuring confidentiality of an employee's HIV/AIDS status; (5) permitting employees with HIV/AIDS-related illnesses to work as long as they are medically fit; and (6) involving employees and individuals infected with HIV or living with AIDS in the development and assessment of HIV/AIDS policies and programs for the workplace.

Title VI: Additional Authorities - (Sec. 601) Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to act internationally to carry out prevention, care, treatment, support, capacity development, and other activities for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in countries which have or are at risk for severe HIV epidemic, with particular attention to resource constrained countries.

Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and in coordination with the Administrators of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to provide: (1) HIV/AIDS prevention services, including education, counseling, testing, reduction of mother-to-child transmission, behavioral interventions for vulnerable populations, post-exposure prophylaxis, ensuring a safe blood supply, and data collection; (2) HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, including programs integrated with prevention services and family support services; (3) infrastructure and training, including institutional capacity building, laboratory support, and technical assistance and training; and (4) HIV/AIDS treatment protocols.

Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA, in coordination with the Director of the CDC and the Administrator of AID, to provide assistance to: (1) assess existing systems of care and treatment and develop a continuum of HIV/AIDS-related services; (2) develop infrastructure and institutional capacity; (3) develop training modules and curricula; and (4) improve coordination between American medical centers and indigenous health facilities.

Requires the use of indigenous capacity in developing countries to the maximum extent practicable, including coordination with relevant government and non-governmental organizations.

Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and in coordination with the Administrator of the HRSA, to award supplemental grants for HIV/AIDS clinical education and training to entities already receiving an HIV/AIDS grant who apply and have a partnership with a health care entity in the host country. Gives priority to applicants who assess existing capacity and address the training needs of a range of health-care providers.

Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award a grant to an administrative organization to award subgrants to expand activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Requires subgrantees to be a local health, international, or partnership organization currently operating such a program of activities with relevant government support and the ability to provide antiretroviral treatment to a minimum number of infected women per service site. Permits funds to be used for therapy, treatment, personnel, laboratory costs, pharmaceuticals for related conditions, support services, and outreach and capacity building activities. Limits the amount which may be used for administrative expenses.

Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Global Health Affairs, to coordinate HHS international HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs, ensuring compatibility and the use of best possible practices. Requires the Director to report annually to Congress.

Extends the tuberculosis prevention program through FY 2004, requiring coordination with the activities under this Act.

(Sec. 602) Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of AIDS Research, to expand, expedite, coordinate, and annually review and report all NIH research on the development of microbicides to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Establishes a grant program for multidisciplinary teams to research innovative microbicide concepts, including combination microbicides. Subjects such grants to peer review.

(Sec. 603) Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of HHS and the Administrator of AID, to assist in: (1) establishing workplace HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs that emphasize protections against discrimination and the creation of support environments for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; (2) developing on-site care and wellness programs; and (3) activities to strengthen collaboration among government, business, and labor.

(Sec. 604) Establishes the Secretary's authority to act internationally under specified Acts, including the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 and the Foreign Service Buildings Act.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 and FY 2004.