Microbicide Development Act

Microbicide Development Act of 2007

H.R.1420 and S.823 - Introduced in the 110^th Congress

The Microbicide Development Act of 2007 (MDA) is intended to facilitate the development of microbicides for the prevention of HIV and other diseases through the establishment of a Microbicide Research and Development Unit at NIH and through the concurrent strengthening of microbicide activity at USAID and CDC. The bill aims to strengthen the US Federal government's microbicide research and development efforts by formally establishing and authorizing microbicide programs and establishing clear lines of responsibility at and across the three major agencies undertaking work on microbicides—the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The MDA focuses on the need for expansion, collaboration, and efficiency in microbicide research and development. The legislation stipulates that the Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research "should expedite US Federal strategic plans for the conduct and support of microbicide research" and "expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of all appropriate NIH institutes and components". It also instructs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to establish "a clearly defined organizational branch charged with carrying out microbicide research and development", with assurance of sufficient staffing for that mission and adequate funding and support for the Microbicide Trials Network. The Act indicates areas of priority emphasis for the CDC and USAID and, again, seeks assurance of sufficient employees for their activities. Finally, the MDA requires that all three agencies report to Congress within 6 months after enactment on their progress in implementing its provisions, and annually thereafter.

Sponsors

Senate

On March 8, 2007, the bill was introduced in the US Senate as S.823 by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) with 7 co-sponsors (Snowe, R-ME; Durbin, D-IL; Dodd, D-CT; Clinton, D-NY; Boxer, D-CA; Schumer, D-NY; and Kerry, D-MA).

The following 19 Senators have signed on as sponsor/cosponsor of S.823 in the 110th Congress:

Jeff Bingaman (NM) Barbara Boxer (CA) Maria Cantwell (WA) Hillary R. Clinton (NY) Jon Corzine (NJ) Christopher J. Dodd (CT) Richard J. Durbin (IL) Dianne Feinstein (CA) Edward Kennedy (MA) John F. Kerry (MA)

Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ) Patrick J. Leahy (VT) Joseph I. Lieberman (CT) Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) Patty Murray (WA) Barack Obama (IL) Paul S. Sarbanes* (MD) Charles Schumer (NY) Gordon Smith (OR) Olympia J. Snowe -ME)

* Not returning in 110th Congress

House of Representatives

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R.1420 by Representative Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) with 13 co-sponsors (Shays, R-CT; Capps, D-CA; Bean, D-IL; Berman, D-CA; Davis, D-IL; Emanuel, D-IL; Grijalva; D-AZ; Kirk, R-IL; Lee, D-CA; Matsui, D-CA; McDermott, D-WA; McNulty, D-NY; and Schwartz, D-PA.

The following fifty-three Representatives signed on as sponsor/cosponsor of H.R.1420 in the 110^th Congress:

Brian Baird (WA-3) Melissa Bean (IL-8) Howard Berman (CA-28) Sherrod Brown (OH-13) Lois Capps (CA-23) Joseph Crowley (NY-7) Danny Davis (IL-7) Susan A. Davis (CA-53) Diana DeGette (CO-1) Rahm Emanuel (IL-5) Chaka Fattah (PA-2) Bob Filner (CA-51) Barney Frank (MA-4) Lane Evans (IL-17) Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) Rush Holt (NJ-12) Michael Honda (CA-15) Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2) Nancy Johnson (CT-5) Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) Mark Kirk (IL-10) Tom Lantos (CA-12) John Larson (CT-1) James Leach (IA-2) Barbara Lee (CA-9) John Llinder (GA-7)

Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) Doris O. Matsui (CA-5) Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Betty McCollum (MN-4) Jim McDermott (WA-7) James McGovern (MA-3) Michael McNulty (NY-21) Martin T. Meehan (MA-5) Gregory W. Meeks (NY-6) Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA-37) George Miller (CA-7) Dennis Moore (KS-3) Major Owens** (NY-11) Donald Payne (NJ-10) Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) Bobby Rush (IL-1) Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) Christopher Shays (CT-4) Rob Simmons (CT-2) Adam Smith (WA-9) Hilda L. Solis (CA-32) Fortney Pete Stark (CA-13) Chris Van Hollen (MD-8) Maxine Waters (CA-35) Henry Waxman (CA-30) Robert Wexler (FL-19)

Please continue to visit this web page for updated information on the MDA.

MDA Endorsement Letters

On February 12, 2007, 123 advocacy organizations co-signed a letter to Congress asking for passage of the MDA as a statement of official Congressional support and longtime interest in assuring 1) assignment of priority to microbicide research and development, 2) sustained institutional commitment, and 3) allocation of a reasonable and steady level of resources for microbicides. In September, another non-governmental organization letter was sent to Congress. To view the September 2007 letter, click here. For more information on how to support Alliance policy initiatives, please contact us.