S 2033 IS

To provide for negotiations for the creation of a trust fund to be administered by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the International Development Association to combat the AIDS epidemic.

February 3, 2000

Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mr. DURBIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

To provide for negotiations for the creation of a trust fund to be administered by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the International Development Association to combat the AIDS epidemic.

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 `World Bank AIDS Prevention Trust Fund Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- The Congress finds the following:

(1) According to statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (hereafter referred to as the `World Bank'), more than 90 percent of all adults and children with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (referred to as HIV/AIDS) live in the developing world--62 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, 24 percent in Asia, and 6.9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean.

(2) In Africa, the death toll from AIDS has reached 13,000,000, while 23,000,000 others live with the disease, and more than 10,000,000 children have been infected or orphaned by it.

(3) The World Bank, declaring AIDS not just a public health problem but the `foremost and fastest-growing threat to development' in Africa, has launched a new strategy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, declaring it a top priority for the World Bank on that continent.

(4) The World Bank estimates that for Africa alone, $1,000,000,000 to $2,300,000,000 annually is needed for prevention in the region in contrast to the modest $160,000,000 a year in official assistance currently available for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

(5) AIDS, like all diseases, knows no boundaries, and there is no certitude that the scale of the problem in one continent can be contained within that region.

(6) Accordingly, United States financial support for medical research, education, and disease containment as a global strategy has beneficial ramifications for millions of Americans and their families who are affected by this disease, and the entire population which is potentially susceptible.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are to prevent human suffering and to ensure the viability of economic development, stability, and national security in the developing world by advancing research to understand the causes associated with HIV/AIDS in developing countries and to assist in the development of an AIDS vaccine.

SEC. 3. NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CREATION OF A WORLD BANK TRUST FUND TO ASSIST IN AIDS PREVENTION AND ERADICATION.

The Secretary of the Treasury should enter into negotiations with the World Bank or the International Development Association (hereafter referred to as the `Association'), with the member nations of such institutions, and with other interested parties for the creation of a trust fund, to be administered by the Bank or the Association, as appropriate, which would--

(1) accept contributions from governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental entities of all kinds; and

(2) use such contributions to address the AIDS epidemic in countries eligible to borrow from the Association.

SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

In addition to any other funds authorized to be appropriated for multilateral or bilateral programs related to AIDS, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005 for payment to the trust fund established as a result of the negotiations entered into pursuant to section 3.

SEC. 5. REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the Committees on Banking and Financial Services and on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and on Foreign Relations of the Senate a written report on the trust fund established pursuant to section 3, the goals of the trust fund, the programs, projects, and activities, including any vaccination approaches, supported by the trust fund, and the effectiveness of such programs, projects, and activities in reducing the worldwide spread of AIDS.

END