I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3396 
To address the dramatic increase of HIV/AIDS in minority communities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2015 
Mr. RANGEL (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. CONYERS, 
Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. CUMMINGS, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. POCAN, and Ms. CLARKE of New York) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce 
A BILL 
To address the dramatic increase of HIV/AIDS in minority 
communities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Communities United with Religious leaders for the 
Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘CURE 
Act of 2015’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Office of Minority Health grants for activities to reduce HIV/AIDS 
among those with the greatest rate of increasing rates of infec-
tion in the minority communities. 
Sec. 5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants for 
HIV testing and counseling services for high risk youth. 
Sec. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants for public health 
testing, intervention, and prevention activities. 
Sec. 7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activities for HIV/AIDS 
prevention and education. 
Sec. 8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national media outreach 
campaign. 
Sec. 9. National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities grants for 
study on prevention based on behavioral factors. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The latest estimates of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention of the incidence of new 
HIV infections in the United States indicate that 
HIV remains a serious health problem. 
(2) It has been estimated that 1.2 million peo-
ple in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS. 
Approximately 50,000 people in the United States 
are newly infected and nearly one in eight of those 
are not aware that they are infected. 
(3) Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 
almost 71 percent of the newly diagnosed cases of 
HIV infection in 2010. The national HIV rates (per 
100,000 persons) for minority groups as of 2010 
was 68.9 for Blacks, 27.5 for Hispanics, 19.3 for 
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, 9.7 for 
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American Indian/Alaska Natives, and 6.5 for Asian- 
Americans. 
(4) Although Blacks are only 12 percent of the 
United States population, they account for half (44 
percent) of all new HIV infection cases in 2010. 
They are 8 times more likely to have HIV than 
Whites. 
(5) Black women accounted for 13 percent of 
all new HIV infections in the United States in 2010 
and nearly 64 percent of all new infections among 
women. Most Black women (87 percent) were in-
fected through heterosexual sex. In 2010, AIDS was 
the third leading cause of death in Black women 35 
to 44 years of age. This equates to the death rate 
from HIV of 22 times more likely than White 
women. 
(6) Black men represented almost one-third (31 
percent) of all new HIV infections in the United 
States in 2010 and account for 70 percent of new 
HIV infections among Blacks. AIDS is also the 
third leading cause of death for Black men 35 to 44 
years of age. 
(7) The rate of new HIV diagnoses among 
Black males 13 to 29 years of age who have sex with 
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males has increased 48 percent between 2006 and 
2009. 
(8) Second to Blacks, Hispanics compose the 
minority group most disproportionately affected by 
HIV. Accounting for 16 percent of the United States 
population, Hispanics account for 21 percent of all 
new HIV infections. 
(9) In 2010, Hispanic females are almost 5 
times as likely to have AIDS as White females. 
(10) Over two-thirds of Asian-Americans and 
over one-half of Pacific Islanders have never been 
tested for HIV. Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiian, 
and Pacific Islanders account for approximately one 
percent of HIV/AIDS cases nationally. Asian-Ameri-
cans have lower AIDS rates than their White coun-
terparts and they are less likely to die of HIV/AIDS. 
(11) HIV/AIDS is the ninth leading cause of 
death in Asian and Pacific Island men aged 25 to 
34. 
(12) Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Is-
landers are 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed 
with HIV as compared to the White population. 
While Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 
represent 0.4 percent of the total population in the 
United States, the AIDS case rate for Native Ha-
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waiians and other Pacific Islanders was twice that of 
the White population in 2010. 
(13) American Indians/Alaska Natives have a 
30 percent higher rate of HIV/AIDS infection as 
compared to the White population. In 2010, Amer-
ican Indian/Alaska Native females were three times 
more likely to be diagnosed with HIV infection, as 
compared to the White female population. 
(14) Runaway youth are 6 to 12 times more 
likely to become infected with HIV than other youth. 
(15) In August 2007, the National Medical As-
sociation, representing 30,000 African-American 
physicians, released a consensus report titled ‘‘Ad-
dressing the HIV/AIDS Crisis In The African Amer-
ican Community: Fact, Fiction and Policy’’ which 
specifically called on the next President of the 
United States to declare HIV/AIDS in African- 
American communities a public health emergency. 
The National Medical Association has worked with 
the National Black Leadership Commission on 
AIDS (NBLCA) to organize clergy to advocate for 
the specific needs of Black physicians, their patients, 
and those at risk in African-American communities. 
Both organizations have pledged to advocate and 
work with clergy to develop, execute, and implement 
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these initiatives in African-American communities 
and culture. 
(16) In October 2007, 186 Black clergy, con-
sisting of Baptist, Church of God in Christ 
(COGIC), Methodist, Protestant, African Methodist 
Episcopal (AME), and Pentecostal faiths came to-
gether to participate in the National Black Clergy 
Conclave on HIV/AIDS Policy, hosted by Time War-
ner, Inc., with other foundation support. Included in 
this prestigious gathering were the Health Brain 
Trust of the Congressional Black Caucus, leaders 
from the National Conference of Black Mayors, and 
the National Caucus of Black State Legislators. 
This group developed a plan of action that has be-
come the Communities United with Religious leaders 
to Eliminate HIV/AIDS in minority communities to 
respond to the ‘‘on the ground’’ emergency in pre-
vention, care, and treatment for AIDS in Black 
America. 
(17) The National Black Clergy Conclave on 
HIV/AIDS declared the HIV/AIDS crisis in the Af-
rican-American community a ‘‘public health emer-
gency’’. The National Conclave also recognized that 
HIV/AIDS is growing in and affecting other minor-
ity groups disproportionately. Therefore, the Con-
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clave is collaborating with the National Alliance for 
Hispanic Health, a 30-year-old organization aimed 
at Hispanic health; the Asian & Pacific Islander 
American Health Forum, a 27-year-old national or-
ganization focused on improving the health of Asian- 
Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; 
and the Asian-Pacific Islander Wellness Center and 
Esperanza, a Latino based national organization to 
end HIV/AIDS disparities within these racial and 
minority communities. 
(18) At their April 2008 annual meeting, the 
National Policy Alliance, consisting of the Joint 
Center For Political and Economic Studies (secre-
tariat), the National Black Caucus of School Board 
Members, National Black Caucus of Local Elected 
Officials, the Judicial Council of the National Bar 
Association, the National Association of Black Coun-
ty Officials, Blacks in Government, National Con-
ference of Black Mayors, and the World Council of 
Mayors voted unanimously to support, endorse, and 
encourage the passage of a bill that addresses the 
dramatic increase of HIV/AIDS in minority commu-
nities and to organize their respective members to 
endorse and support the passage of such a bill. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AIDS, HIV, AND
HIV/AIDS.—The terms 
‘‘AIDS’’, ‘‘HIV’’, and ‘‘HIV/AIDS’’ have the mean-
ings given such terms in section 2689 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300ff–88). 
(2) ELIGIBLE
HEALTH
ENTITIES.—The term 
‘‘eligible health entity’’ means any of the following 
entities that serve at least one minority group: 
(A) A public health agency. 
(B) A health center, including an entity 
operated by an Indian tribe or tribal or Indian 
organization under the Indian Self-Determina-
tion Act or an urban Indian organization under 
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. 
(C) A community-based organization. 
(D) A faith-based organization. 
(3) MINORITY
GROUP.—The term ‘‘minority 
group’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘racial and 
ethnic minority group’’ under section 1707(g) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)) 
and includes such other groups as specified by the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
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SEC. 4. OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH GRANTS FOR ACTIVI-
TIES TO REDUCE HIV/AIDS AMONG THOSE 
WITH THE GREATEST RATE OF INCREASING 
RATES OF INFECTION IN THE MINORITY COM-
MUNITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of reducing HIV/ 
AIDS among minority groups, the Secretary, acting 
through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority 
Health, may make grants to eligible health entities to con-
duct any of the following activities, with respect to one 
or more minority groups, including youth in such groups: 
(1) HIV/AIDS education and outreach activi-
ties. 
(2) Activities focusing on the prevention of 
HIV/AIDS and access to treatment for HIV/AIDS. 
(3) HIV/AIDS testing activities. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), an entity shall submit to the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as required by 
the Deputy Assistant Secretary. 
(c) PRIORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In making grants under sub-
section (a), the Secretary, acting though the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, shall give 
priority to applications for proposed activities to 
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serve one or more minority groups with a rate of oc-
currence of HIV that is equal to at least the applica-
ble minimum rate specified by the Secretary under 
paragraph (2). 
(2) SPECIFICATION OF MINIMUM RATE OF OC-
CURRENCE OF HIV.—For purposes of paragraph (1), 
the Secretary, in consultation with relevant stake-
holders, shall specify a minimum rate of occurrence 
of HIV, which may be based on gender and geo-
graphic area. 
(d) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2016 through 2019. Any funds made available to 
the Secretary pursuant to the previous sentence for 
a fiscal year shall remain available until expended 
but in no case after fiscal year 2019. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Of the amounts 
made available, pursuant to paragraph (1), to carry 
out this section for a year, not more than 10 percent 
of such amounts may be used for administrative 
costs. 
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SEC. 5. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERV-
ICES ADMINISTRATION GRANTS FOR HIV 
TESTING AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR 
HIGH RISK YOUTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration, may make grants to eligible 
health entities to provide HIV testing and subsequent 
counseling and referral for medical treatment based on the 
results of such testing, to youth who are— 
(1) members of minority groups; 
(2) not more than 18 years of age; 
(3) HIV positive or at risk for HIV/AIDS, in-
cluding young men of racial minorities who have sex 
with men; and 
(4) engaged in substance abuse. 
Such youth may include those who have run away from 
home, are homeless, have had experience in the juvenile 
justice system, or reside in a detention center or foster 
care. 
(b) USES OF GRANTS.—An entity receiving a grant 
under this section may only use such grant to provide— 
(1) testing for HIV for the youth described in 
subsection (a); 
(2) counseling for such youth— 
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