America Living With AIDS

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A comprehensive national HIV plan should be developed with the full participation of involved federal agencies and with input from national organizations
representing various levels of government to identify priorities and resources
necessary for preventing and treating HIV disease.
To develop the comprehensive national HIV plan, the Commission calls upon
the President of the United States to designate an individual or lead agency with
the authority and responsibility for instituting a cabinet-level process to articulate the federal component of an HIV plan, develop a mechanism for interagency
as well as state and local participation and coordination, and establish a timeline
for completion of key tasks.
2. All levels of government should develop comprehensive HIV plans that establish priorities, ensure consistent and comprehensive policies, and allocate
resources.
These plans should build on the national HIV plan and be developed at the state
level with clear direction and support from each governor and at the appropriate
local level (city or county) with clear direction and support from the appropriate
locally elected official body. Each level of government should have an HIV Advisory Committee that is composed of representatives of diverse community-based
organizations; the private sector; religious organizations; public safety officials;
people living with AIDS; housing, health, and social service agencies; and other
appropriate representatives.
The Commission recognizes that most states and many local governments may
have an HIV plan. However, these existing plans should be carefully reviewed to
ensure that they are up to date and comprehensive, and that they coordinate the
entire spectrum of prevention and treatment services.
3. Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act should be carefully
monitored, and states and localities should evaluate the adequacy of existing
state and local antidiscrimination laws and ordinances for people with disabilities, including people living with HIV disease.
4. Elected officials at all levels of government have the responsibility to be leaders
in this time of health care crisis and should exercise leadership in the HIV epidemic based on sound science and informed public health practices.
The Commission recognizes that many issues raised by the HIV epidemic place
pressures on elected officials to pass laws intended to respond to constituent fears
and concerns. The Commission, however, is very concerned that policies may be
enacted into law that are better left to scientists and public health experts. Leg
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