Subject: Reagan Stops Short of Endorsing Call For AIDS Anti-Discrimination Laws
Date: Published: 8/3/88 70 lines
Source:  WALL STREET JOURNAL. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. 

   Reagan Stops Short of Endorsing Call
   For AIDS Anti-Discrimination Laws
    ----  
   By Ellen Hume
   Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

   WASHINGTON -- President Reagan urged Americans not to
discriminate against people who have AIDS or the precursor
HIV virus, but he stopped short of endorsing his commission's
recommendation that federal anti-discrimination laws be
enacted to protect them.
The president, issuing a 10-point program on acquired
immune deficiency syndrome, disappointed some AIDS activists
who believe the stronger actions recommended in June by the
Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Epidemic are necessary.
   "There must be federal anti-discrimination nationwide if
we're going to get people to be counseled, tested and take
the appropriate actions," said Dr. Mervyn Silverman,
president of the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
   Mr. Reagan instead limited the anti-discrimination rules
to federal employees.  He directed that all federal agencies
adopt rules that allow employees with AIDS or HIV-infected
employees to continue working as long as they "are able to
maintain acceptable performance and do not pose a safety or
health threat."
   The president also directed the attorney general to review
whether further federal anti-discrimination actions are
necessary.  In the meantime, Mr. Reagan urged "American
businesses, unions and schools to examine and consider
adopting education and personnel policies" based on the
federal agency rules.
   The president's plan also:  
 -- Directs the Food and Drug Administration to improve
blood-screening tests immediately and to notify within 45
days anyone who has had a blood transfusion since 1977 to get
an AIDS test.
 -- Steps up AIDS educational programs and anti-drug
efforts.
 -- Begins action to accelerate development, approval and
distribution of vaccines and drugs.
 -- Instructs the secretary of health and human services to
evaluate the current system of health care financing, to
study promoting out-of-hospital care for AIDS patients, and
to encourage states to establish insurance-risk pools for
medically uninsurable persons;
 -- Affirms the administration's commitment to adequate
funding for AIDS programs and urges Congress to accelerate
funding for the fiscal 1989 and 1990 AIDS budget requests;
 -- Urges the secretary of state to develop a three-year
plan for international efforts against AIDS and to increase
U. S. technical assistance to less-developed nations to combat
AIDS. 
   Dr. Ian MacDonald, head of the president's anti-drug abuse
office, said 36 states already have enacted
anti-discrimination laws.  About 65,000 Americans have been
diagnosed as having the disease, and about 1.5 million are
infected with the HIV virus, according to the president's
commission.  So far, 38,000 have died from AIDS, the
commission said.

[This article is made available here by Dow Jones Co. for the 
personal and non-commercial use of callers to this bbs, in the 
hope that it will be of some help to those who are suffering 
from the disease and others who are seeking to help them.]