By Davis of Dallas H.C.R. No. 291 76R16887 ELG-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, More than one-third of all reported AIDS cases and 1-2 43 percent of new AIDS cases are among African Americans, even 1-3 though African Americans comprise only 12 percent of the population 1-4 of the United States; and 1-5 WHEREAS, While AIDS deaths have declined, due in large part 1-6 to the availability of new pharmaceutical drugs, the rate of 1-7 decline in the African American community has been much slower; and 1-8 WHEREAS, AIDS is now the leading cause of death among African 1-9 American men and women ages 25 to 44, far outpacing heart disease, 1-10 cancer, and homicide; and 1-11 WHEREAS, African American women account for 56 percent of 1-12 women living with AIDS and African American children account for 58 1-13 percent of children living with AIDS; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Nationwide, as many as 700,000 African Americans are 1-15 infected with HIV, and many do not even know that they are carrying 1-16 the AIDS virus; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources 1-18 Emergency (CARE) Act is the primary mode of funding for 1-19 HIV/AIDS-related prevention, treatment, and outreach services; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Federal appropriation increases in all titles of the 1-21 Ryan White CARE Act will be supplemented with increased state 1-22 appropriations, which will in turn increase access to care and 1-23 decrease HIV/AIDS-related mortality and morbidity in African 1-24 Americans; now, therefore, be it 2-1 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-2 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to 2-3 reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act; and, be it further 2-4 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-5 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-6 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 2-7 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of 2-8 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 2-9 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 2-10 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.