Report from Richmond and Follow-up to AIDS Awareness Day
A QUICK Note From Sue
GOOD NEWS
Your contacts with your members of the House and Senate have once again produced results!
We have had success in promoting some of VORA's Budget Amendments!!
In the Senate, two budget amendment requests have been approved by Senate Finance Committee!
1) A study by the Joint Commission on Health Care to review future federal support for HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment programs; and
2) An additional $100,000 in General Funds for the HIV Premium Assistance Program — these funds will allow more PWA's to benefit from the HIV Premium Assistance Program and keep private health insurance.
These are successes!!
NEXT STEPS …
Because the recommendations are made by the Senate, but NOT by the House, the BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE will make the decision — are these recommendations in or out of the final Budget.
We will need to work with the Budget Conferees to show how and why these are so important to folks living with HIV/AIDS in our state.
Conferees will be named this week.
Watch for the next Note from Sue for more details on what you can do to support these actions.
in the meantime, please THANK Senator Janet Howell and Senator Benjamin Lambert for introducing these Budget Amendments.