HR0686

LRB094 14913 RSP 49967 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, An estimated 35,000 Illinoisans are living with 
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HIV/AIDS ; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The federal Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS 
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Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is critical to meeting the 
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healthcare and support service needs of Illinoisans living with 
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HIV who are low-income and/or uninsured; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois communities rely on more than  
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$60,000,000 in Ryan White CARE Act funding each year to provide 
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an array of HIV-related healthcare,  dental, mental health, 
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substance abuse treatment, case management, medication 
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reimbursement, legal assistance, housing, nutrition 
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counseling, and other essential services; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The most recent CARE Act authorization law expired 
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on September 30, 2005, and Congress will soon consider new 
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legislation to shape the future direction of CARE Act programs; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
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(HHS) released a reauthorization proposal in July of 2005, 
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that, if enacted, would severely reduce CARE Act funding for 
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Illinois; and

 
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    WHEREAS, One of the provisions in the proposal requires 
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funding formulas beginning in FY 2007 to include the number of 
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HIV cases, but the U.S. government has refused to accept data 
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from Illinois because it has collected HIV case reports by 
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code, an option given to states in 1999; and

 
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    WHEREAS, On January 1, 2006, Illinois will begin collecting 
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and reporting cases of HIV by name, the preferred method for 
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the federal government, but will need additional time for the 
 


 






HR0686
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LRB094 14913 RSP 49967 r




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reporting system to mature so that all cases of HIV reported in 
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Illinois can be counted toward funding formula allocations; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Other provisions recommended by HHS would result 
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in dramatic funding reductions for AIDS-related services to 
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suburban, rural, and urban communities across Illinois, and 
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reduce AIDS-related healthcare and essential services; 
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therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we urge the Congress of the United States to enact legislation 
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retaining the current "hold-harmless" provisions of the 2000 
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Ryan White CARE Act reauthorization, which  protects 
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jurisdictions from  large, destabilizing reductions in funding; 
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and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to explore the use of 
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scientifically-derived estimates of the number of people 
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living with HIV/AIDS in U.S. jurisdictions for funding 
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distribution purposes until HIV surveillance systems are 
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sufficiently accurate and complete across the nation to fairly 
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base funding decisions; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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delivered to the President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate, the 
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Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Secretary of 
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the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Governor Rod 
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Blagojevich, and each member of the Illinois congressional 
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delegation.