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HIV / AIDS Legislation - Archive Information
on the 1988 Health Omnibus Programs Extension Act of 1988 (HOPE) Congress Oct. 13 cleared for the president an omnibus health package that contained the first significant federal policy outlines for dealing with the deadly AIDS epidemic. Despite reservations about some of the items in the catchall bill, President Reagan signed the measure into law on Nov. 4 (S 2889 -- PL 100-607). In 1986, Reagan reluctantly signed into law a six-title bill that included one measure he wanted badly, allowing U.S. companies to export drugs not yet approved for use in this country, and another he strongly opposed, creating a compensation system for children injured by side-effects from vaccines. (1986 Almanac p. 238) The 100th Congress´ omnibus measure made that package look meager by comparison, folding more than a dozen separate measures into a single nine-title bill that was approved by both houses Oct. 13. S 2889 included two measures--reauthorizing federal aid for the training of nurses and other health professionals -- that the president had earlier threatened to veto. It contained three others -- reauthorizing programs encouraging the donation and transplanting of human organs, providing funds to states for preventive health services and reauthorizing health programs for the homeless -- that included what the administration considered objectionable language or excessive authorization totals. AIDS Provisions The AIDS portion of the measure authorized a minimum of $270 million over three years for AIDS education, and a total of $400 million over two years for AIDS education, and a total of $400 million over two years for anonymous blood testing and counseling, and for home and community-based health services for AIDS patients. It also authorized $2 million for operating costs for a new national AIDS commission. The title expedited federal AIDS research activities, ordered the hiring of 780 new workers for the Public Health Service, and formally authorized several elements of the federal government´s war on AIDS that had already been launched. At the insistence of Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who threatened to block the entire package of otherwise, sponsors dropped some controversial elements of an AIDS bill (HR 5142) passed overwhelmingly by the House in September. Excluded were provisions authorizing $1.2 billion for voluntary blood testing and counseling, with guaranteed confidentiality of test results. Key backers of the excised provisions, led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., insisted they would make the confidentiality protections their top legislative priority in 1989, along with measures to extend anti-discrimination protections to individuals who tested positive for the virus that caused AIDS. But sponsors also expressed pride in their package. "I think this is not only the best we could get out, it´s a darn fine bill and it´s going to save a lot of lives," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who helped negotiate the final package. Hatch said he expected Reagan to sign the measure and added, "I´ll do what I can to get him to sign it." Reagan signed
the bill into law on November 4, 1988.
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