Executive Order of 13703 of July 30, 2015
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to ensure improved health outcomes for Americans at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS and achieve greater coordination across the Federal Government, I hereby order as follows:
My Administration has made substantial progress in addressing the domestic HIV epidemic since the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States (Strategy), the first of its kind, was released in July 2010. The Strategy has served as a blueprint for executive departments and agencies (agencies) as well as for community partners in the private and nonprofit sectors. This effort has led to increased coordination and collaboration among agencies and fostered the use of evidence-based policy approaches for improving HIV prevention and care.
Federal, State, and local agencies have contributed to significant improvements in health outcomes through their enhanced focus on the HIV care continuum—the sequential stages of care from being diagnosed to achieving viral suppression. Our partners across all levels of government and all sectors of society have also worked to ensure that all Americans living with HIV/AIDS receive our full support at every stage of their illness.
Further, my Administration has been committed to reducing the HIV-related disparities experienced by certain populations, including gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, Black women and men, Latino women and men, people who inject drugs, youth aged 13–24, people in the Southern United States, and transgender women. Addressing the intersection between HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities has also been a priority. The Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities established in my memorandum of March 30, 2012, has focused its efforts on increasing screenings for HIV and intimate partner violence, addressing violence and trauma when supporting women in HIV care, and expanding public education efforts across all levels of government regarding HIV and violence against women and girls.
Today, I am releasing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020 (Updated Strategy) to build on this progress. The Updated Strategy integrates the recommendations of the HIV Care Continuum Working Group, established in Executive Order 13649 of July 15, 2013 (HIV Care Continuum Initiative), and the recommendations of the Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities, so that their work can inform the Nation's response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Updated Strategy also takes into account recent research advancements in our understanding of HIV/AIDS, and builds on the historic successes of the Affordable Care Act, which is helping millions of Americans, including those who are living with HIV, access affordable, quality health care.
This order is designed to ensure successful implementation of the Updated Strategy by requiring coordination and collaboration by, and accountability of, the Federal Government; fostering enhanced and innovative partnerships with State, tribal, and local governments; and encouraging the commitment of all parts of society. The duties and authorities this order assigns are in addition to those assigned by my memorandum of July 13, 2010 (Implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy). In light of recent progress and continuing challenges, we must continue to improve our national effort to reduce new HIV infections, increase access to care for people living with HIV, reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities, and achieve greater coordination across all levels of government.
(a) The Director of ONAP, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Updated Strategy.
(b) The Director of ONAP shall annually report to the President on the implementation of the Updated Strategy, including progress in meeting key targets and taking key actions identified in the Updated Strategy and the Federal Action Plan, an annual guidepost developed by ONAP in conjunction with agencies, designed to implement new efforts to address the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic.
While the Updated Strategy will require a Government-wide effort in order to succeed fully, certain agencies have primary responsibilities and competencies in implementing the Updated Strategy.