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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Ryan White Care Act’s renewal would help hundreds of thousands of people receive needed treatment.
(Photo by Evan Vucci/AP)
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: Chris Johnson COMMENTS
 
The U.S. House has approved legislation that renews federal funding to care for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS.
The bill, known as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, would provide funding under the Ryan White program for an additional four years. The House approved the legislation Oct. 21 by a vote of 408-9, according to the clerk’s office.
The Ryan White Care Act, first enacted in 1990, is the nation’s largest federally funded program for people living HIV/AIDS and is designed to assist low-income victims with insufficient or no insurance.
Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action Council’s executive director, praised the House for approving the measure.
“This bill will ensure the availability of lifesaving services for those living with HIV/AIDS in all states and territories while we determine the long-term impact of health care reform legislation and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy on the health and well being of those infected, affected and at risk for HIV,” she said in a statement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also applauded the Ryan White Care Act’s renewal, noting that the legislation would help hundreds of thousands of people receive needed treatment.
“Each year, this legislation ensures access to lifesaving medical services, including pharmaceuticals, for more than 500,000 clients — almost half of the individuals living with HIV/AIDS in this country,” she said in a statement. “Reauthorizing the Ryan White Act will continue to increase access to primary care and medications by providing additional resources and facilitating the transition to HIV reporting.”
The Senate on Oct. 19 approved an identical version of the Ryan White Care Act, so the House’s approval means the bill goes next to President Obama’s desk.
The White House last week issued a Statement of Administration Policy in support of the measure as it stood before Congress.
“The administration believes that the current bill makes important improvements in HIV/AIDS care and treatment and looks forward to working with the Congress on this effort to ensure that the Ryan White Program provides the most efficient, effective systems of care for people living with HIV/AIDS,” the statement says.
It was not immediately clear when Obama would sign the legislation.
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