House Passes AIDS Audit Amendment in Fiscal Year 2002 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill
The House yesterday passed a $123 billion compromise Labor-HHS appropriations bill (HR 3061) for fiscal year 2002 that includes a provision allowing the HHS Inspector General to conduct an audit of all federally funded HIV/AIDS prevention programs (HR 3061 text, 12/20). The language, approved by the Senate last month, requires the HHS Inspector General to audit federally funded AIDS programs and report to Congress any programs using the funds for "sexually explicit workshops." The amendment states that federal money should be used only to provide "resources, training, technical assistance and infrastructure to national, regional and community-based organizations" working in AIDS prevention (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/8). CDC guidelines for HIV prevention programs state that the programs cannot promote sexual activity or intravenous drug use and must meet the obscenity standards set forth in the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case Miller v. California (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/16). The spending bill also allocates $610 million for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (HR 3061 text, 12/20). The House-passed bill will be considered by the Senate today (Fram, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/20). The House also passed the foreign operations appropriations bill yesterday, which includes $475 million to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide. That bill is also awaiting Senate approval (Dinan, Washington Times, 11/20).
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