WHEREAS, the Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act has had a significant impact on the lives and health of people with HIV/AIDS in our cities; and

WHEREAS, the services provided by the Treatment and Modernization Act are urgently needed by low-income, uninsured and underinsured persons living with HIV/AIDS; and

WHEREAS, since its enactment in 1990, the Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act has dramatically improved the quality of life of people living with HIV-disease and their families, reduced use of costly inpatient care, and increased access to care for low-income, underserved populations, including people of color; and

WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated that those receiving services from the Treatment and Modernization Act providers are up to 40 to 90 percent more likely to report appropriate medical care, including access to anti-HIV medications; and

WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act was signed in December 2006; and

WHEREAS, the reauthorized Act should build on the Act's previous success by modernizing it to address new challenges in the HIV/AIDS epidemic while maintaining the successful structure, strong local control and continuity of care of existing services present in the current law,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide increased immediate funding to fairly and adequately address the epidemic in areas with longstanding as well as emerging HIV/AIDS crises and to provide appropriate and sufficient funds for localities to implement the Treatment and Modernization Act programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to continue to provide sufficient funds for all previously allowed service categories; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges that Congress allow cities and their communities to use the proper tools to address new challenges confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic so that life-saving health services are not interrupted.