HR 6187 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

2d SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 6187CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish a research program under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense to discover a cure for HIV/AIDS.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

July 25, 2012CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. HIMES (for himself and Ms. LEE of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To establish a research program under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense to discover a cure for HIV/AIDS.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Cure for AIDS Act of 2012’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; FINDINGS.

(a) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of Congress that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) finding a cure is essential to ending the AIDS epidemic in the United States and globally;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) AIDS treatment has saved millions of lives and also makes it much less likely that HIV infection will be passed to a partner;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) access to AIDS treatment in the United States and globally needs to continue to be expanded but AIDS treatment is not a cure and not the ultimate solution for the tens of millions of people living with HIV/AIDS;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) the National Institutes of Health is the leading health research organization in the world and has dedicated millions of dollars to AIDS cure research;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) to accelerate AIDS cure research and product development, it is becoming increasingly important to invest in areas that can complement the essential role of the National Institutes of Health; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) a cure will save hundreds of millions of dollars in spending and have a powerful positive economic impact globally.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Findings- Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) It is estimated that in 2010 roughly 34,000,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) In the United States, 1,200,000 Americans are estimated to be infected with the virus.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Every 9.5 minutes, a citizen of the United States becomes infected with HIV. Roughly 2,700,000 individuals, including 390,000 children, became newly infected with HIV in 2010 alone.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) In fiscal year 2012, the Federal Government spent $27,700,000,000 on HIV/AIDS, the largest component being services and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States at a cost of $15,600,000,000. The average lifetime cost of HIV treatment is estimated to be $367,134 per person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) In the last two years, discoveries have led to growing optimism in the scientific community that a cure for AIDS can be found. The eradication of HIV from the body of one individual in Germany has led many scientific leaders to believe that curing AIDS is now possible. Leading researchers believe we are now at the cutting edge of scientific discovery for an AIDS cure with a range of novel approaches being explored, including stem cells, gene therapy, medications, and immune response modifications, such as therapeutic vaccines.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF HIV/AIDS CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment of Research Program-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, shall establish and support an accelerated research program dedicated to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) ADMINISTRATION- The Secretary shall carry out the research program established under paragraph (1) in collaboration with--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the Director of the National Institutes of Health;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) any head of a Federal agency that the Secretary determines appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Scope- To provide the basis for developing a cure for HIV/AIDS, the Secretary shall ensure that research conducted under subsection (a)(1) is highly targeted to address the following scientific questions and priorities:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) How HIV persists despite antiretroviral therapy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Where HIV persists beyond the reach of antiretroviral therapy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Whether ongoing attempts of the immune system to clear the infection actually hinders the ability of the medical community to cure infected individuals.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Why the immune system reduces but does not eliminate levels of the virus.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) How to measure ultra-low levels of the virus in the body of an infected individual.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Identifying and testing interventions, such as drugs, that may eliminate the virus from infected individuals.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) Identifying and testing interventions, such as vaccines, that may help an infected individual permanently control the virus without antiretroviral therapy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Assistance by Nonprofit Entities-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) COORDINATION- In carrying out the research program established under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall coordinate with at least one eligible nonprofit entity--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) whose primary mission is ending the AIDS epidemic through innovative research; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) that has experience carrying out programs dedicated to AIDS cure research.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) RESPONSIBILITIES- The Secretary shall ensure that the responsibilities of a nonprofit entity selected under paragraph (1) include partnering with the Secretary to establish research priorities for peer-reviewed funded research pursuant to subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Annual Reports- In each annual report on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program that the Secretary submits to Congress, the Secretary shall include information on the progress of the research program established under subsection (a)(1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink