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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 262 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 262

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

 Ms. Lee 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 living with HIV, and every year approximately 
        39,000 people acquire HIV;
Whereas in the United States, almost 40 percent of new HIV infections are young 
        people ages 13 to 20;
Whereas young people ages 13 to 24 account for one in five of the estimated 
        39,000 new HIV cases diagnosed each year in the United States;
Whereas 44 percent of HIV-positive youth do not know they carry the HIV virus;
Whereas African-American youth bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic, 
        representing 56 percent of new infections in young people;
Whereas young African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) ages 13 to 24 
        comprise 55 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 national 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 coverage, more health insurance options, additional funding 
        for sex education, a prohibition against denying people living with HIV 
        access to health care and expanded access to Medicaid which will help 
        more HIV-positive youth receive care; and
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) supports the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & 
        AIDS Awareness Day;
            (2) encourages State and local governments, including their 
        public health agencies, education agencies, schools, and media 
        organizations to recognize and support such a day;
            (3) promotes effective and comprehensive HIV prevention 
        education programs both in and out of schools as a tool to 
        ensure that all people in the United States are educated about 
        HIV, as called for in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy;
            (4) urges youth-friendly and accessible health care 
        services to better provide for the early identification of HIV 
        through voluntary routine testing, and to connect those in need 
        to clinically and culturally appropriate care and treatment as 
        early as possible;
            (5) commends the work of AIDS service organizations, 
        community and faith-based organizations, and school-based 
        health centers that are providing youth-friendly, effective, 
        prevention, treatment, care, and support services to young 
        people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS;
            (6) recognizes the importance of interventions that address 
        young people's structural barriers to living healthy lives, 
        including accessible health care, safe and inclusive schools 
        and communities, family acceptance, secure housing, excellent 
        education, employment and legal protections, and poverty 
        reduction initiatives;
            (7) prioritizes youth leadership and development in order 
        to ensure youth involvement in decisions which impact their 
        health and well-being as a necessary means to achieving an 
        AIDS-free generation;
            (8) requires the full implementation of the National HIV/
        AIDS Strategy and its goals to reduce new HIV infections, 
        increase access to care and improve health outcomes for people 
        living with HIV, reduce HIV-related disparities and health 
        inequities, and achieve a more coordinated national response to 
        the HIV/AIDS epidemic;
            (9) recommends a comprehensive prevention and treatment 
        strategy that empowers young people, parents, public health 
        workers, educators, faith leaders, and other stakeholders to 
        fully engage with their communities and families to help 
        decrease violence, discrimination, and stigma towards 
        individuals who disclose their sexual orientation or HIV 
        status; and
            (10) calls for an AIDS-free generation that prioritizes 
        youth leadership and development in order to ensure youth 
        involvement in decisions which impact their health and well-
        being as well as advance a pipeline for the next generation of 
        HIV/AIDS doctors, advocates, educators, researchers, and other 
        professionals.
                                 <all>
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