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Archive: NORA letter to Senator Kennedy on H.R. 1
June 6, 2001
Senator Ted Kennedy, Chairman
Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Kennedy,
On behalf of the National Organizations Responding to AIDS (NORA) coalition,
we are writing to you to express our strong opposition to the Tiahrt/Graham
amendment that was recently incorporated in the House version of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization. NORA is a coalition
comprised of over 175 health, labor, religious, professional, and advocacy
groups that represent a broad consensus on HIV- and AIDS-related policy,
legislation, and funding.
The Tiahrt/Graham amendment would require prior written consent before a
minor can receive virtually any health service in any school setting,
effectively eliminating confidential access to a wide array of physical and
mental health care services, including HIV and other sexually transmitted
disease prevention efforts.
Currently, young people between the ages of 13 and 24 make up half of new HIV
infections in this country. It is unconscionable that as nation, we would
withhold life-saving counseling or advice to our youth, while 20,000 young
people become newly infected with HIV each year.
The language of this amendment is so broadly written – covering any
activity that "might cause" access to health care – it would
discourage the even the most basic counsel and advice that students routinely
seek from nurses, guidance counselors, teachers, and principals. If this
language is included in the final legislation, a school nurse would be
prohibited from merely providing a phone number to a student who asked about HIV
testing or substance abuse counseling.
NORA urges you to oppose the inclusion of the Tiahrt/Graham language in the
final conference report for the legislation reauthorizing the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act.
Sincerely,
Terje Anderson, Co-Chair
Javier Salazar, Co-Chair
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