S 2026 IS

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for HIV/AIDS efforts.

February 2, 2000

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for HIV/AIDS efforts.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Global AIDS Prevention Act of 2000'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 2 decades ago, more than 16,300,000 people worldwide have died of the disease.

(2) More than 33,600,000 people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS; more than 3,000,000 of them are children.

(3) Sub-Saharan Africa has been particularly hard hit by the disease, as the region has accounted for--

(A) 84 percent of the worldwide deaths from HIV/AIDS;

(B) two-thirds of the new infections in 1999; and

(C) 69 percent of those living with the disease.

(4) In sub-Saharan Africa, 55 percent of the infected adults are women and, as a result, more than 10,000,000 children have been orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa because of HIV/AIDS--a figure that could double or triple in the next decade.

(5) According to the United Nations, HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is the `worst infectious disease catastrophe since the bubonic plague'.

(6) The HIV/AIDS problem in Southeast Asia is growing dramatically. In 1999, 20 percent of the new infections in the world were in Southeast Asia.

(7) New investments and treatments hold out promise of making progress against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For example, a recent study in Uganda demonstrated that a new drug could prevent almost one-half of the HIV transmissions from mothers to infants, at a fraction of the cost of other treatments.

(8) Making progress against HIV/AIDS requires a global commitment, with a leadership role from the United States.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT OF THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.

Section 104(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(4)(A) Congress expects the agency primarily responsible for administering this part to make HIV/AIDS a priority in the foreign assistance program and to undertake a comprehensive, coordinated effort to combat HIV/AIDS. This effort shall include providing--

`(i) primary prevention and education;

`(ii) voluntary testing and counseling;

`(iii) medications to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child; and

`(iv) care for those living with HIV/AIDS.

`(B)(i) In addition to amounts otherwise available for such purpose, there are authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry out this paragraph $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.

`(ii) Not less than 50 percent of funds made available each fiscal year under clause (i) shall be used to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

`(iii) Funds appropriated under this subparagraph are authorized to remain available until expended.'.

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