AIDS Action Legislative Update

1. Ryan White Care Act Reauthorization

The House has informally named conferees for Ryan White CARE Act reauthorization. House members named are: Bliley (R-FL), Bilirakis (R-FL), Bilbray (R-CA), Dingell (D-MI), and Waxman (D-CA). Senate conferees are: Kassebaum (R-KS), Jeffords (R-VT), Frist (R-TN), Kennedy (D-MA), and Dodd (D-CT). Congressional staff met today to start work on the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Conferees may meet sometime next week. Issues of concern will be the Coburn-Waxman amendment, which mandates HIV testing of pregnant women and infants, the Helms "No Promo-Homo" amendment, and Title I & II funding formulas.

AIDS Action: Call conferees and request they complete the reauthorization. All members of the House can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121, and all Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121. E-mail addresses for your Representatives, Senators and the White House can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

2. VA/HUD:

The House has delayed action on naming its conferees for VA/HUD appropriations which was scheduled for today. It is possible that House conferees will be named within the next week, or that staff will informally begin conference work on the bill. As a reminder, the conference report must be completed by November 1, 1995. The bill would still need to be voted on in both chambers in order to meet the November 13, 1995 deadline (the Continuing Resolution which has kept government operating will expire November 13, 1995).

AIDS Action: Urge conferees to provide line item funding for HOPWA - as in the Senate bill, at a funding level of $213 million - the proportionate amount HOPWA would receive in the House bill. All members of the House can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. E-mail addresses for your Representatives can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

3. Labor/HHS:

The Labor/HHS FY'96 Appropriations bill remains stalled in the Senate. Programs are operating under a continuing resolution which expires November 13, 1995. We expect a new continuing resolution which will provide funding for the rest of FY'96. The continuing resolution may reduce or eliminate funding for some programs while providing modest increases for others. It is unlikely that programs will take an across the board cut.

AIDS Action: Urge House and Senate members of the Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee to support the highest levels of funding for HIV/AIDS programs. All members of the House can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121, and all Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121. E-mail addresses for your Representatives, Senators and the White House can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

4. Medicaid:

The Reconciliation Bill contains the provisions for the dismantling of Medicaid. The bill is currently being debated in both the House and Senate and a vote is expected by the end of the week. We expect amendments will be offered which could significantly improve the bill for people with HIV/AIDS and the disabled. We do not expect these amendments to pass. Remember, the dismantling of Medicaid will severely impact the ability of health professionals to provide care, treatment and services to low-income people with AIDS.

AIDS Action: Call the Senate and the House and urge them to VOTE NO ON RECONCILIATION. Call President Clinton and urge him to VETO RECONCILIATION. All members of the House can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121, and all Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121. E-mail addresses for your Representatives, Senators and the White House can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

5. Welfare Reform:

The House and Senate conference committee is currently meeting. While neither version of the bill is acceptable, the Senate version is highly preferable concerning people with histories of drug and alcohol dependency, and regarding disabled children on SSI. The provisions restricting access to services by immigrants are unacceptable in both bills.

AIDS Action: Call your Senators and Representatives and ask them to express support to conferees for the SENATE language on SSI. All members of the House can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121, and all Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121. E-mail addresses for your Representatives, Senators and the White House can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

6. The Silence America Amendment:

The Treasury-Postal appropriations bill has been stalled in conference due to disagreements over the extreme limits on advocacy intended to silence non-profit agencies. The amendment, developed by House conservatives and led by Reps. Istook (R-OK) and McIntosh (R-IN), has had strong opposition from the non-profit sector. In order to move the bill, Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) has struck a compromise that includes many of the most disturbing elements of the original provision.

In any case, there is general agreement among moderates that there is no need for these new limits because present law prohibits the use of Federal funds for lobbying. In fact, in four hearings, the House was unable to find any evidence of violations of the law!

AIDS Action: Call the Senate toll-free at 1-800-336-0047 and ask your senators to reject the Treasury/Postal Conference Report because it places unacceptable limits on the rights of non-profit organizations to represent the most vulnerable Americans.

7. Medical Records Confidentiality Bill:

Senator Robert F. Bennett (R-UT) introduced the Medical Records Confidentiality Act of 1995 (S.1360) in a press conference at the Capitol. The Bennett bill would be the first federal law protecting personally identifiable medical information, whether the information is in paper or electronic form, and will place legal obligations on health care providers, health insurance companies, and others who create, maintain, or use health information to protect the confidentiality of that information. The bill guarantees a person's access to his/her own medical records, requires notice and consent for disclosures of information except in limited statutory-defined situations (emergency circumstances or for public health reporting), and has stiff criminal and civil penalties for unlawful disclosure or use of information.

The Bennett bill will preempt all state confidentiality laws except those state public health or mental health laws that prevent or otherwise restrict disclosures of information allowed under the bill -- i.e. preempts anything less protective but not stronger HIV laws where they exist. The bill also does not preempt federal alcohol/drug confidentiality laws.

AIDS Action's role in the development of this legislation was acknowledged at the press conference by Senator Dole (R-KS) and Senator Leahy (D-VT). We applaud and endorse the strong bi-partisan support for this act. Senator Kassebaum (R-KS) may hold hearings in November, and the bill could move quickly through the Senate and the House.

AIDS Action: Call your senators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill (S. 1360). All Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121. E-mail addresses for your Senators can be found posted in HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.

For more information, contact:
AIDS Action Council
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW #700
Washington DC 20009
202-986-1300
202-986-1345 (fax)
202-332-9614 (tty)
E-Mail: aidsaction@aidsaction.org