107th Congress

Global Access to AIDS Treatment Act of 2001

S. 463

Background

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) introduced S. 463, the Global Access to AIDS Treatment Act of 2001, to provide for increased access to HIV/AIDS-related treatments and services in developing countries. This measure continued the trend in congressional interest in the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on developing countries, which have limited access to and infrastructure to support distribution of AIDS therapies.

Provisions of the Legislation/Impact on NIH

Research-related provisions would have required the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collaborate with 1) the U.S. Agency for International Development, 2) developing foreign countries that face HIV/AIDS health care crises, and 3) appropriate international organizations, to conduct a needs assessment and develop and implement simplified and adapted protocols for the delivery of HIV/AIDS treatments in resource-deprived settings of the developing world. In addition, the Director of NIH and the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration would have been required to develop and maintain a database of HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals, including information about patent status, recommended protocols, price, and quality. Other provisions would have amended the Trade Act of 1974, with regard to parallel importing and compulsory licensing, for any foreign country that is undergoing an HIV/AIDS-related public health crisis and that is propounding or implementing laws or policies that regulate pharmaceuticals or medical technologies used to treat HIV/AIDS or its associated opportunistic infections. S. 463 also contained provisions for a loan repayment program to encourage health professionals to provide HIV/AIDS treatment and care in developing foreign countries.

Health care infrastructure development provisions would have authorized $25 million for each fiscal year to develop and implement programs to strengthen such systems, implement anti-retro viral treatment programs, and improve access to medical education in foreign countries severely affected by HIV/AIDS.

Status and Outlook

S. 463 was introduced on March 6, 2001, and was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

There was no further action on this legislation during the 107th Congress.

For more information on this issue, see the articles entitled "Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness, Education and Treatment" and "Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria."