Report Title:

HIV/AIDS Patients; Food, Housing, and Transportation Assistance

Description:

Appropriates funds to the department of health for food, housing, and transportation assistance for HIV/AIDS patients. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1227

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Relating to hiv/aids assistance.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that food, housing, and transportation assistance is crucial to supporting patients suffering from HIV/AIDS. Like many health problems, HIV disease disproportionately affects people in poverty, minority populations, and others who are underserved by healthcare and prevention systems. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, passed in 1990, is federal legislation that addresses the unmet needs of persons living with the HIV disease/AIDS. Federal funding through the CARE Act reaches over five hundred thousand individuals each year, making it the federal government's largest program for people living with HIV disease.

However, federal CARE Act funding priorities have changed in recent years and are now focused on drug assistance and support services. Services not related to medical care are no longer being funded, leaving many HIV/AIDS patients in Hawaii without adequate food, housing, and transportation services that would otherwise enable them to benefit from improved drug therapy.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of health for critical food, housing, and transportation assistance for eligible HIV/AIDS patients that can no longer be supported by federal CARE Act funding, and to ensure that related programs such as FoodBasket and Gregory House continue.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $350,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for critical food, housing, and transportation assistance to eligible HIV/AIDS patients that can no longer be support by federal CARE Act funding, and to ensure that related programs such as FoodBasket and Gregory House continue.

SECTION 3. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health to be used to provide food, housing, and transportation assistance for eligible HIV/AIDS patients. The department of health shall contract with individuals and

agencies that receive or have received, and are eligible for federal CARE funding, to provide such services.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.