Candidate Grid
(Summary by candidate of positions on each topic)
This page contains bill sponsorships in the Senate and House.
Bill sponsorships indicate the topics that legislators are most interested in, and spend the most time on.
Bill Sponsorship: Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act
Source: HR 179
To permit the use of Federal funds for syringe exchange programs for purposes of reducing the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, including HIV and viral hepatitis.Congress finds as follows:
Each year, approximately 12,000 Americans contract HIV/AIDS and approximately 19,000 Americans contract the hepatitis C virus directly or indirectly from sharing contaminated syringes.
A 2005 comprehensive international review of the evidence of the effectiveness of syringe exchange programs in preventing HIV transmission shows that such programs reduce HIV transmission and are cost-effective.
Research has shown that injection drug users who are referred to addiction treatment from syringe exchange programs are more likely to enter and remain in treatment.
Research has shown that, by providing safe disposal of used injection equipment, syringe exchange programs significantly reduce the number of improperly discarded
syringes in the community, thereby reducing the exposure of police and others to dangers of blood-borne disease from accidental syringe sticks.
Syringe exchange programs reduce the prevalence of HIV among injection drug users.
Despite the scientific and public health consensus that syringe exchange programs reduce HIV and do not increase substance abuse, a ban on funding syringe exchange has been enacted as part of each Appropriations Act since 1998.
The Public Health Service Act, as added by the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990, is subject to a statutory ban on funding needle exchange programs.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nothing shall prohibit the use of Federal funds to establish or carry out a program of distributing sterile syringes to reduce the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis.
Participating counts on VoteMatch question 19.
Question 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it
Scores: -2=Strongly oppose; -1=Oppose; 0=neutral; 1=Support; 2=Strongly support.
Topic: Drugs
Headline: Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis
(Score: -1)
Headline 2: Sponsored bill to distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS
(Score: -1)
