Policy Updates: Hill Happenings and Administration Activities

Hill Happenings

Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations

Lawmakers quickly kicked off the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) appropriations process after the White House released the President’s FY2023 Budget Request to Congress on March 28. The Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) appeared before the House Committee on the Budget on March 29 to testify on the President’s FY2023 budget request. On April 5, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance to testify on the health spending and policy priorities included in the FY2023 Health and Human Services budget.

NASTAD is monitoring the FY2023 appropriations process and will advocate for the highest possible funding levels on behalf of HIV and hepatitis programs.

NASTAD Calls on Congress to Provide Strong Funding for HRSA Health Programs

NASTAD joined the Friends of HRSA coalition and called on top Appropriators to provide strong funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the FY2023 appropriations bill. The advocates highlight the limitations that HRSA-funded providers face due to years of underfunding, threatening access to quality health services for people living with HIV, pregnant women, mothers and their families, and those otherwise unable to access high-quality health care. The coalition calls for increased resources for critical community-based health programs, such as funding for HRSA-recognized community health centers, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and the Title X family planning program.

Administration Activities

FDA Issues Final Guidance to Support Development of New HBV Treatments

On April 6, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance for industry to assist sponsors in the clinical development of drugs and biologics for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from the initial investigational new drug application (IND) through the new drug application (NDA)/biologics license application (BLA) and postmarketing phases. The guidance does not address the development of vaccines or blood-derived products, which are regulated by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Federal Court Strikes Down Discriminatory Restrictions on Military Service for PLWHIV

On April 7, a federal district court ruled that US Department of Defense (DOD) policies barring people living with HIV (PLWHIV) from deploying and being commissioned as officers are discriminatory. The court order enjoins the DOD and the other defendants from separating, discharging or denying the commission applications of asymptomatic HIV-positive service members with undetectable viral loads based on their purported ineligibility for worldwide deployment due to their HIV-positive status. Advocates cheered the ruling, highlighting the stigmatizing effects of the policy.

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

April 10 is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD). Young people aged 13-24 accounted for 21% of estimated new HIV infections in the United States in 2018. NYHAAD is a day to educate the public about the impact of HIV on young people. In the lead-up to NYHAAD, share ready-to-use graphics and social media messages from the updated Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) NYHAAD toolkit to help spark conversations about HIV and highlight prevention methods to reduce HIV among young people. You can also use Together campaign resources to share information on HIV testing, treatment, prevention, and stigma reduction for young people. For additional shareable social media, check out the Division of Adolescent School and Health’s NYHAAD toolkit.

National Transgender HIV Testing Day

Observed on April 18, National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD) is a day to address the impact of HIV on transgender and nonbinary people. To support your outreach efforts leading up to and on NTHTD, you can use and share new and ready-to-use social media posts and graphics included in the CDC Division of HIV Prevention toolkit. Use this toolkit to help reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among transgender and nonbinary people.

Resources

Hepatitis Appropriations Partnership (HAP) 2022 Hepatitis Policy & Advocacy Summit

The Hepatitis Appropriations Partnership (HAP) convened a months-long series of virtual micro-summits to unpack the key policy issues facing the hepatitis community and spark meaningful conversations with federal partners, health department staff, hepatitis experts, and community advocates for the 2022 Policy and Advocacy Summit. Click here to access the recordings and accompanying materials for the full series.

CDC NOFO: Strengthening Syringe Services Programs

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to increase access to harm reduction services for people who currently inject, or have a history of injecting, drugs and reduce incidence of infectious diseases and other complications of injection drug use through two components. Click here to read a blog post from the Director of the Division of Viral Hepatitis on the new NOFO. Applications are due Monday, May 2.

CDC NOFO: Enhanced Surveillance of Persons with Early and Late HIV Diagnosis

This NOFO will support identification and recruitment of adults with recent HIV diagnoses at stage 0 and stage 3 to improve understanding of barriers and gaps associated with new infection and late diagnosis in the era of multiple testing modalities and prevention options such as PrEP. These enhanced surveillance activities will identify actionable missed opportunities for early diagnosis and prevention, thus informing allocation of resources, development, and prioritization of interventions, and evidence-based local and national decisions to improve HIV testing and address prevention gaps. Applications close April 26.

Job Postings

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare – Boise, ID

Workforce Capacity Health Program Specialist (Disease Intervention)

We are seeking a full-time limited service (benefit eligible) Health Program Specialist with exceptional coordination and communication skills to support disease intervention specialist (DIS) workforce capacity-building initiatives in Idaho. The DIS Workforce Health Program Specialist will assist with development, implementation, and administration of a federal health program. This position is in the Bureau of Clinical and Preventive Services, Division of Public Health. This position may have telework options. Applications close April 17.

Health Program Specialist - STD Prevention Program

We are currently seeking a full-time Health Program Specialist for the STD Prevention Program. This position is located within the HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Section in the Bureau of Clinical and Preventive Services, Division of Public Health. This position will support program prevention activities outlined in our federal grant. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and motivated self-starter who has an interest in STD prevention. Have strong oral and written communication skills, strong attention to detail, time management skills, and experience working with stakeholders and other community partners in capacity building and implementation of best practices for routine testing, prevention, and treatment of STDs. This position may have telework options. Applications close April 18.

Viral Hepatitis Diagnostics Working Group Coordinating Consultant – Treatment Action Group (TAG)

The Viral Hepatitis Diagnostics Working Group Coordinating consultant will work with TAG’s Policy Team and Working Group members to coordinate, facilitate, and support the WG to advance agreed policy and funding priorities and objectives. This includes drafting written materials, meeting facilitation and co-facilitation, notetaking, informing and guiding advocacy strategies, contributing to building WG consensus, engaging stakeholders, and supporting educational activities such as webinars.

Patient Care Manager (Operations Manager), HIV/AIDS – Tallahassee, FL

This is a highly responsible position in the HIV/AIDS Section of the Division of Disease Control and Health Protection, Bureau of Communicable Diseases, Florida Department of Health. This position develops and administers the overall functions of the HIV Patient Care Program funded through state and federal resources. This position reports directly to the Administrator of the HIV/AIDS Section. Applications close April 14.

STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program, Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health

Department of State Health Services – Austin, TX

Research Specialist V
- Under the supervision of the Group Manager, the MMP Project Coordinator/Research Specialist V performs advanced research and epidemiological work requiring specialized knowledge of health behaviors related to TB/HIV/STD transmission. Responsible for the coordination of activities involved in the implementation of the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) in Texas. Coordinates activities related to sampling frame development, healthcare facility, provider, and patient recruitment and data collection. Prepares budget and grant documents, data collection protocols and procedures, annual, interim progress reports, and other reports required by CDC or DSHS. Applications close April 18.
Public Health & Prevention Specialist II
- Public Health and Prevent Specialist II performs a variety of tasks under the direction of the STD/HCV Epidemiology and Surveillance Group Manager related to the management of HIV/STD investigational data, including database maintenance, report tracking, data entry, and quality assurance. This position will aid in development of short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals and objectives, and the development of standards for achieving strategic operational goals. Exercises independent judgment and professional discretion with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment to administrate, advise, plan, and coordinate duties. Applications close April 18.
HIV/STD Director
- The HIV/STD Director works under the general direction of the Director of the TB/HIV/STD Section (THSS) of the DSHS. Performs advanced (senior-level) managerial work leading the day-to-day operations of the HIV/STD Prevention and Care Unit. These programs include statewide programs for HIV clinical and social services; the provision of medications for the treatment of HIV and other STDs; and HIV/STD prevention. Applications close May 9.

Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division, Communicable Disease Unit

Communicable Disease Unit Surveillance Program Manager – Cheyenne, Wyoming
- The Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division, Communicable Disease Unit is seeking a Communicable Disease Surveillance Program Manager for Cheyenne. This position will serve as the Communicable Disease (CD) Surveillance Program Manager and senior epidemiologist for the Communicable Disease Unit. This position oversees public health surveillance of four disease areas (HIV, STD, TB, and Viral Hepatitis).  This position will monitor disease trends and utilize surveillance data to coordinate public health activities.  
Communicable Disease Epidemiologist – Cheyenne, Wyoming
- This position will serve as the Communicable Disease AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Coordinator, Wyoming TB Controller, and Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) for the Communicable Disease (CD) Treatment Program.  Assist in outbreak response to ensure the safety of Wyoming residents; by interviewing cases for exposure information, updating news outlets on the progress of outbreak control, and analyzing exposure data utilizing epidemiological and statistical methods.

Hepatitis Surveillance Data Analyst – New Orleans, Louisiana

This position is responsible for the data analysis activities for the Louisiana Office of Public Health STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program (SHHP), in the Hepatitis Surveillance unit. Data utilized for Hepatitis Surveillance activities include Hepatitis laboratory data, Case Report Forms, Provider Report Forms, Linkage to Cure data, investigation data, Medicaid data, and data from related sources and programs. This position will implement and coordinate data analysis activities to monitor and evaluate progress toward meeting hepatitis elimination within the state. All activities must be completed in accordance with the security and confidentiality guidelines required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and SHHP.

Assistant Commissioner - Health Department – Baltimore, Maryland

The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) is seeking an Assistant Commissioner to lead the Bureau of Communicable Disease and Outbreak Control. This senior management position will lead a talented team responsible for communicable disease investigation, outbreak control, and emergency preparedness programming. The incumbent will also be responsible for developing and implementing agency-wide policies related to health department readiness to respond to public health emergencies. The incumbent will report directly to the Deputy Commissioner for BCHD’s Division of Population Health & Disease Prevention.   

Open Positions – New York State

The New York State Department of Health, in partnership with Health Research, Inc, has various job openings, including some within the AIDS Institute. Please visit this link to learn about their current opportunities.

News Bulletin

Biden admin plots to fix Obamacare's 'family glitch,' expand coverage

“The Biden administration is planning on Tuesday to propose a long-sought change to the Affordable Care Act aimed at lowering health insurance costs for millions of Americans, four people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. The new policy is designed to close a loophole in the ACA known as the “family glitch” that’s prevented an estimated 5 million people from qualifying for subsidized health plans — even when they can’t find affordable coverage elsewhere.”

CDC, under fire for covid response, announces plans to revamp agency

”Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky announced plans Monday to revamp the agency that has come under blistering criticism for its performance leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying, “it is time to step back and strategically position CDC to support the future of public health.”

In an agency-wide email sent shortly after 1 p.m., Walensky said she has hired a senior federal health official outside of the Atlanta-based agency to conduct a one-month review to “kick off an evaluation of CDC’s structure, systems, and processes.”

Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first Black woman on Supreme Court

“The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court Thursday afternoon, marking a historic moment for the high court and a massive victory for President Joe Biden. Jackson was approved, 53-47, on Thursday afternoon with the support of three Republicans. The vote makes Jackson the first Black female justice and delivers Democrats their first high-court seat in 12 years.”