Congresswoman Maxine Waters Introduces Legislation to Prevent the Spread of HIV in Honor of the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, as part of her ongoing HIV/AIDS policy advocacy, introduced the HIV Prevention Now Act (H.R. 5126) and the PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act (H.R. 5127) in the House of Representatives today, in honor of the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS, which is being held in Washington, DC beginning today, through Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Congresswoman Waters has been spearheading initiatives to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, screening, and treatment since the 1980s. In 1989, she worked with the Clinton administration to establish the Minority AIDS Initiative, which significantly expanded HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts for minority communities that are severely and disproportionately impacted by HIV. Because of her advocacy, the funding for this initiative has increased from the initial appropriation of $156 million in Fiscal Year 1999 to more than $400 million per year today.

“I am deeply concerned by the continuing spread of HIV in communities across the United States,” said Congresswoman Waters. “I am introducing these important HIV prevention bills to ensure that we can prevent new HIV infections, save lives, and stop the spread of HIV.”

The HIV Prevention Now Act (H.R. 5126) will appropriate $2.165 billion in Fiscal Year 2026 for the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This bill would restore HIV prevention funding that was eliminated in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

“Eliminating HIV prevention funding could result in thousands of new HIV infections and would be devastating for our nation’s efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS,” said Congresswoman Waters. “This bill will ensure that CDC’s vital disease prevention efforts will continue to save lives.”

The PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act (H.R. 5127) will require health insurance plans to cover Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) as preventive services, without out-of-pocket costs. PrEP is prescribed for people who are at risk of HIV. It reduces the risk of infection from sex by approximately 99 percent and from injection drug use by at least 74 percent. PEP is prescribed soon after a possible exposure to prevent HIV infection for people who may have been exposed (for example by unprotected sex, sexual assault, sharing needles, or an accidental needle stick).

“PrEP and PEP are extremely effective at preventing HIV infections,” said Congresswoman Waters. “My bill will save lives by requiring health plans to cover these essential drugs for people who need them.”

The PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act (H.R. 5127) was endorsed by NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council), AIDS United, The AIDS Institute, National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), National Coalition of STD Directors, PrEP4All, and the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute.

The HIV Prevention Now Act (H.R. 5126) was also endorsed by the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute.

“Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ leadership in introducing the PrEP and PEP Prevention Act could not come at a more critical time. With the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, communities most impacted by HIV cannot afford to lose access to these lifesaving tools. PrEP is not optional—it is an essential component of our nation’s mission to end the HIV epidemic. This bill ensures that prevention remains a priority, and I applaud Congresswoman Waters for standing with the communities most at risk and moving us closer to a future free from HIV,” said Paul Kawata, Executive Director, NMAC.
 
“Legislation like the PrEP and PEP Prevention Act has never been more essential and more needed than it is in this moment. Rep. Maxine Waters understands that we are on the cusp on ending the HIV epidemic in the United States and that we cannot achieve that goal without widespread accessibility to PrEP and PEP. This bill centers the vital importance of HIV prevention efforts and works to increase access to these lifesaving tools without any significant barriers for communities impacted by and vulnerable to HIV,” said Carl Baloney, Jr., AIDS United President & CEO.

“Ending the HIV epidemic has been priority for our nation for over forty years. We are now closer to achieving that goal than ever before, thanks to highly effective HIV prevention medications. The ‘PrEP and PEP Prevention Act’ is necessary to remove barriers to these medications and ensure that the communities and individuals most vulnerable to HIV can protect themselves. The AIDS Institute strongly supports Congresswoman Waters’ introduction of this bill and its enactment,” said Michael Ruppal, Executive Director, The AIDS Institute.

“Congresswoman Maxine Waters has long been a champion for people living with and vulnerable to HIV, and she continues her leadership with the introduction of the PrEP and PEP Prevention Act. This legislation would ensure that communities most impacted by HIV would maintain access to PrEP and PEP – a necessary step if we are to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. We applaud Congresswoman Waters for continuing to prioritize these communities and working tirelessly to end the HIV epidemic once and for all,” said Stephen Lee, Executive Director, NASTAD.

“Access to PrEP is vital for our nation’s health—not just for HIV prevention, but STI prevention as well. Given our ongoing STI epidemic in this country, bills like this are needed ensure this access is protected and individuals received the HIV prevention medication and sexual health testing they need to stay healthy,” said Elizabeth Finely, Interim Executive Director, National Coalition of STD Directors.

“PrEP4All is extremely grateful for Congresswoman Waters’ leadership to protect no-cost access to PrEP and PEP from ongoing threats to preventive health services. American investment in groundbreaking HIV prevention research has provided us with an opportunity to end this terrible epidemic, but innovation means nothing if we can’t get it to the people who need it the most. As one of our greatest long-time HIV champions, Rep. Waters is working to safeguard coverage protections for rigorously evaluated, evidence-based HIV prevention, ensuring that hard working Americans continue to have free access to the medications they need to keep themselves and their communities healthy,” said Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All.

“While we strongly support the legislation that requires payers to cover PrEP for people who have insurance, ensuring sufficient and stable funding for the CDC so that health departments, community-based organizations and other grantees can implement HIV and hepatitis prevention programs nationwide is also vitally important,” said Carl Schmid, Executive Director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “We commend Congresswoman Waters and her colleagues for introducing these bills and urge the Congress to support them so that we can eventually end HIV and hepatitis in the United States.”

The HIV Prevention Now Act (H.R. 5126) is cosponsored by Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Andre' Carson (IN-07), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act (H.R. 5127) is cosponsored by Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Andre' Carson (IN-07), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

###