skip to main content

House Committee Approves Measures on HIV/AIDS, NIH, and Family Respite Care

On September 20, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2005, measures that would reauthorize the National Institutes of Health and Ryan White CARE Act, and a resolution that would authorize the issuance of subpoenas for investigations related to the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet.

Ryan White CARE Act

The committee approved, 38-10, a bill (as-yet-unnumbered) that would reauthorize the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act (P.L. 101-381). It was reauthorized in 2000 (P.L. 106-345), expired on September 30, 2005, and is currently operating under a continuing resolution.

The reauthorizing legislation, sponsored by Chair Joe Barton (R-TX) would, among other provisions, make the following changes to current law:

  • create a tier system to distribute funds to states based on the number of AIDS cases over the past five years rather than via the current system of distribution to eligible metropolitan areas with 2,000 or more AIDS cases in the past five years;
  • change the formulas for funding calculations to include HIV cases in addition to AIDS cases;
  • require that 75 percent of the CARE Act allocation be spent on core medical services;
  • direct unused funds from states into the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, which provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive people; and
  • provide a three-year “hold harmless” period during which time states’ grants would not be reduced more than five percent from FY2006.An amendment by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) that would add community-based organizations, clinical hospitals, and other health facilities that provide early intervention services to the list of entities eligible for development grants was approved by voice vote.National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    The committee approved, 42-1, a bill (as-yet-unnumbered) that would reauthorize and restructure the National Institutes of Health. The bill would authorize a five percent annual increase in NIH’s budget for FY2007-2010. The bill would create a panel to study reorganizing NIH’s 27 different institutes, centers, and offices to increase efficiency of operations.

    The reauthorizing legislation, sponsored by Chair Barton would, among other provisions make the following changes to current law:

  • create a common fund to sponsor research across NIH institutes, offices, and centers;
  • require that clinical trials be comprised of diverse human subjects, including women and people of color;
  • require annual reporting on NIH’s collaboration with other Department of Health and Human Services agencies, clinical trials, and the storage of human tissue;
  • require that the members of the Scientific Management Review Board have broad expertise regarding NIH functions; and
  • address fraud and abuse by requiring annual reports to Congress on activities related to whistleblower complaints.An amendment offered by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) that would have attached the language of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 2231) to the bill was defeated, 20-23. She explained that the amendment would authorize the creation of eight breast cancer research centers of excellence and establish a breast cancer research panel within the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to oversee the grant eligibility and review process. In stressing the importance of the amendment, Rep. Capps said, “one in nine — some say one in eight
    — women will develop breast cancer,” but that “we don’t know the etiology — the cause [of breast cancer].” Chair Barton, who said he lost his aunt to breast cancer, “respectfully and reluctantly” opposed the amendment. “If we are serious about putting NIH in the best position it can be to conduct cross-cutting research…we at some point have to say, let the NIH be the NIH and stop micromanaging,” he said.A second amendment by Rep. Capps that would have prohibited the director of NIH from eliminating any institutes or centers created by Congress was defeated, 17-22.

    Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) offered two amendments. The first amendment would have authorized $30.8 billion for FY2007, and a 5 percent increase over the rate of inflation as indexed by the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index for subsequent fiscal years; it was defeated, 15-28. The second amendment would have authorized NIH appropriations at the level of inflation indexed by the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index beginning in FY2008; it was defeated, 17-26.

    Lifespan Respite Care Act

    The committee approved, by voice vote, the Lifespan Respite Care Act (H.R. 3248). The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), would authorize grants to statewide respite care providers. The grants could be used to provide care for adults and/or children, training and recruiting respite care workers and/or family members, and providing information about available services to individuals.

    The bill would authorize $30 million for FY2007, $40 million for FY2008, $53.3 million for FY2009, $71.1 million for FY2010, and $94.8 million for FY2011. It also would establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care to maintain a database on respite care, provide technical assistance to states, and serve as an educational clearinghouse.

    Child Exploitation

    The committee approved, 36-0, a resolution (as-yet-unnumbered) that would authorize the issuance of subpoenas to aid the committee’s ongoing investigation of the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet.