109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 155
To provide additional appropriations for the fiscal year 2005 for
the MTCT-Plus Initiative at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public
Health.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2005
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Appropriations
A BILL
To provide additional appropriations for the fiscal year 2005 for
the MTCT-Plus Initiative at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public
Health.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Mother-to-Child Transmission Plus Appropriations
Act for Fiscal Year 2005'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Any truly effective program to make significant inroads in addressing
the HIV/AIDS pandemic must go beyond just breaking the cycle of transmission
of HIV/AIDS from mother-to-child to a program that takes care of the whole
family after the birth of the child (mother-to-child transmission plus,
or MTCT-Plus).
(2) For societies to continue providing food, education, healthcare, shelter,
and other basic necessities of life, saving the child is not enough; continued
care of the mother, father and other adult family members is necessary for
the child to grow and thrive.
(3) Each year, more than 2.5 million women become infected, more than 500,000
transmit the virus to their infants and more than 1.5 million women die
each year from AIDS. Groundbreaking progress has been made in the prevention
of mother-to-child transmission. However, these programs offer no HIV care
for the mothers themselves. The tragedy is that most of the children saved
by MTCT programs are likely to be motherless by the time they can walk.
(4) Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the United Nations,
and a coalition of private foundations have committed $50 million to provide
life-long care and treatment to more than 10,000 women, children, and other
family members in a family-centered care model that can be replicated around
the world.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005.
(a) Appropriation- In addition to such sums as are otherwise appropriated
for the fiscal year 2005, there are appropriated $75 million to Columbia University's
Mailman School of Public Health for its MTCT-Plus Initiative, which has committed
funds from the cooperation of private foundations and the United Nations for
the first major multi-country, family-centered AIDS treatment program for
developing countries in Africa and Asia.
(b) Availability of Funds- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, sums
appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
END