Congressman Bob Filner joins unanimous House vote re-authorizing Ryan White Care Act funding

The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday re-authorized The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Relief Emergency Act with a new formula for distributing the nation’s major source of federal AIDS prevention and treatment funding. The vote was 411 to 0, with 22 members not voting.

"The Ryan White Act is the most important federal funding for AIDS and HIV treatment and prevention," Filner said. "I am pleased my colleagues in the House overwhelmingly supported this important funding."

Thursday’s House action changes the way Ryan White Act funds are distributed, allocating them based on the prevalence of AIDS cases and individuals infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The current formula allocates funding according to the number of full-blown AIDS cases in the area. The new formula will begin in fiscal 2005.

The measure also authorizes about $20 million for activities to reduce HIV transmission from mothers to their babies. People receiving care through Ryan White programs would have to receive counseling on the need to notify their partners. It also authorizes $30 million for grants to improve tracking of the disease and supplemental grants to states with severe needs and a rising number of HIV or AIDS cases.

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