HIV/AIDS Programs to be Maintained & Strengthened in State Budget

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today reported significant progress in the process of crafting a state budget that will maintain and strengthen HIV/AIDS programs in California, including therapeutic monitoring, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), HIV education and prevention programs, the HIV/AIDS Pharmacy Pilot Program, the California Methamphetamine Initiative, and various programs administered by the Office of AIDS. 

The Joint Legislative Budget Conference Committee, which is chaired by Assemblymember Laird, has nearly completed reconciling differences in the budget between the Assembly and the Senate.  Once completed, the budget will be voted on in both houses and sent to the Governor for approval.  All HIV/AIDS-related budget items have already been agreed to in the Conference Committee. The functional deadline for an approved budget is July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made and I’m optimistic the legislative leadership shown so far will carry through to the final budget signed by the governor,” said Assemblymember Laird, who serves as chair of the Legislative LGBT Caucus.  “Thanks to strong advocacy by community-based organizations, the legislature and the governor have an opportunity to significantly strengthen the HIV/AIDS programs that are so crucial for HIV/AIDS patients and those who support them.”

HIV/AIDS Programs Maintained and Expanded in the Budget:

(as currently adopted by the Conference Committee)

Therapeutic Monitoring—funding doubles from $4 million to $8 million. Additional funding for this crucial program to meet the need for testing was one of the HIV/AIDS Community's highest priorities this year. This program provides access to specific laboratory tests (viral load and resistance testing) through a voucher-based program for low income, HIV-infected Californians who are uninsured or underinsured. HIV therapeutic monitoring provides clinicians with the objective tools to measure the efficacy of a particular course of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), thereby increasing successful outcomes, and ensuring the quality of life and longevity of HIV-infected persons.

Office of AIDS—funding for programs carried out by the Office of AIDS increases by $20.3 million (20.3 percent) in 2007-08—not including ADAP (see below).

AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)—budgeted at $289 million and continues to be fully funded to meet its caseload in 2007-08. A successful drug rebate program and efficient management have contained ADAP costs and freed up some state General Fund money, with most of that savings being reinvested in other program funding increases.

HIV Education and Prevention programs—the Assembly restored (and the Conference Committee approved) the governor’s proposed $5.6 million cut.  This funding will enable California’s local health jurisdictions to continue to develop and carry out comprehensive education and prevention plans that positively impact community norms; increase the community’s knowledge of HIV; and change individual behaviors through HIV education, risk reduction, and HIV detection and that are tailored to meet the specific needs of individuals in their jurisdictions.

Medi-Cal—the Assembly added (and the Conference Committee approved) $1.3 million to extend the existing HIV/AIDS Pharmacy Pilot Project through June 2008. This project is evaluating the effectiveness of pharmacist care in improving health outcomes for hard-to-reach people with HIV/AIDS.

California Methamphetamine Initiative—budgeted $10 million for a multi-media methamphetamine public education campaign, the targets of which will include men who have sex with men.

 Additional increases for Office of AIDS programs:

• Early Intervention receives an increase of $5.2 million (54 percent)
• Home and Community-Based Care Case Management  receives an increase of $3.5 million (39 percent)
• Care Services--Consortia increases by $5.6 million (46 percent)
• Epidemiological Studies/Surveillance receives an increase of $2 million (22 percent)

Backfill of Federal Funds—the budget provides $1.8 million to partially backfill reductions in federal grants for local HIV/AIDS programs.

Assemblymember Laird’s background on HIV/AIDS issues:

Assemblymember Laird has been a leader on HIV/AIDS issues, particularly state funding for programs and services. In 2003, he successfully advocated against the proposal to require a co-pay for participants in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).  And in 2004, he championed the cause to defeat a proposal to place an enrollment cap on ADAP. Mr. Laird also led the effort to restore funding for the Therapeutic Monitoring Program, and he was a joint author of a bill which created the pilot program for pharmacies that service Medi-Cal HIV/AIDS patients to evaluate the effectiveness of medication therapy management services. In 2005, Mr. Laird fought to include in the 2005 Budget Act an augmentation of $5,639,000, to restore HIV Education and Prevention funding for various local health jurisdictions to 2001-02 funding levels.  In 2006, Mr. Laird led the fight to once again protect ADAP funding and increase HIV prevention and education programs.

Mr. Laird has authored several bills signed into law that benefit the LGBT community, including bills on school employee training for intolerance and hatred prevention, as well as three bills designed to strengthen non-discrimination protections.  This year, he is carrying a bill to help fund county-supported clean needle and syringe exchange programs.

Prior to the Assembly, Mr. Laird served eight years as a Cabrillo College Trustee and two terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, including two terms as Mayor, becoming one of the first openly gay mayors in America.  Mr. Laird was also a founding board member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, and served as the agency's executive director.