Supporting the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 308 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 10, 2019 Ms. LEE of California submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Whereas National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is a nationwide observance that calls on people to take action to invest in the health, education, and leadership of young people; Whereas more than 30 years into the epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States more than 1,200,000 people are liv- ing with HIV, and every year approximately 40,000 peo- ple acquire HIV; Whereas in the United States, almost 40 percent of new HIV infections are young people ages 13 to 20; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR308.IH HR308 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 308 IH Whereas young people ages 13 to 24 account for one in five of the estimated 40,000 new HIV cases diagnosed each year in the United States; Whereas 41 percent of HIV-positive youth ages 13 to 24 do not know they carry the HIV virus; Whereas African-American youth bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic, representing 57 percent of new infections in young people ages 13 to 24; Whereas young African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) ages 13 to 24 comprise 34 percent of new infections among all Black males; Whereas the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) is the only Federal program supporting HIV prevention for adolescents in schools; Whereas the Nation’s largest Federal program dedicated to providing care and treatment for people living with HIV was named after Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who helped educate a Nation about HIV and AIDS in the 1980s; Whereas the Ryan White Part D Program is one of the na- tional efforts to link HIV-positive youth to medical care and support services; Whereas the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provides youth, including those at risk for and living with HIV/AIDS, better access to health care cov- erage, more health insurance options, additional funding for sex education, a prohibition against denying people living with HIV access to health care, and expanded ac- cess to Medicaid which will help more HIV-positive youth receive care; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR308.IH HR308 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 308 IH Whereas April 10 of each year is now recognized as National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 2 Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day; 3 (2) encourages State and local governments, in- 4 cluding their public health agencies, education agen- 5 cies, schools, and media organizations to recognize 6 and support such a day; 7 (3) promotes effective and comprehensive HIV 8 prevention education programs both in and out of 9 schools as a tool to ensure that all people in the 10 United States are educated about HIV, as called for 11 in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy; 12 (4) urges youth-friendly and accessible health 13 care services to better provide for the early identi- 14 fication of HIV through voluntary routine testing, 15 and to connect those in need to clinically and cul- 16 turally appropriate care and treatment as early as 17 possible; 18 (5) commends the work of AIDS service organi- 19 zations, community and faith-based organizations, 20 and school-based health centers that are providing 21 youth-friendly, effective, prevention, treatment, care, 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR308.IH HR308 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 308 IH and support services to young people living with and 1 vulnerable to HIV/AIDS; 2 (6) recognizes the importance of interventions 3 that address young people’s structural barriers to 4 living healthy lives, including accessible health care, 5 safe and inclusive schools and communities, family 6 acceptance, secure housing, excellent education, em- 7 ployment and legal protections, and poverty reduc- 8 tion initiatives; 9 (7) prioritizes youth leadership and develop- 10 ment in order to ensure youth involvement in deci- 11 sions which impact their health and well-being as a 12 necessary means to achieving an AIDS-free genera- 13 tion; 14 (8) requires the full implementation of the Na- 15 tional HIV/AIDS Strategy and its goals to reduce 16 new HIV infections, increase access to care and im- 17 prove health outcomes for people living with HIV, 18 reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities, 19 and achieve a more coordinated national response to 20 the HIV/AIDS epidemic; 21 (9) recommends a comprehensive prevention 22 and treatment strategy that empowers young people, 23 parents, public health workers, educators, faith lead- 24 ers, and other stakeholders to fully engage with their 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR308.IH HR308 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HRES 308 IH communities and families to help decrease violence, 1 discrimination, and stigma towards individuals who 2 disclose their sexual orientation or HIV status; and 3 (10) calls for an AIDS-free generation that 4 prioritizes youth leadership and development in 5 order to ensure youth involvement in decisions which 6 impact their health and well-being as well as ad- 7 vance a pipeline for the next generation of HIV/ 8 AIDS doctors, advocates, educators, researchers, 9 and other professionals. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR308.IH HR308 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS