PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION EXPERT PANEL.

SEC. 309. PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION EXPERT PANEL. Section 312 of the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7652) is amended by adding at the end the following:“(c) Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Expert Panel.—“(1) Establishment.—The Global AIDS Coordinator shall establish a panel of experts to be known as the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Panel (referred to in this subsection as the ‘Panel’) to—“(A) provide an objective review of activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and“(B) provide recommendations to the Global AIDS Coordinator and to the appropriate congressional committees for scale-up of mother-to-child transmission prevention services under this Act in order to achieve the target established in subsection (b)(1).“(2) Membership.—The Panel shall be convened and chaired by the Global AIDS Coordinator, who shall serve as a nonvoting member. The Panel shall consist of not more than 15 members (excluding the Global AIDS Coordinator), to be appointed by the Global AIDS Coordinator not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, including—“(A) 2 members from the Department of Health and Human Services with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities;“(B) 2 members from the United States Agency for International Development with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities;“(C) 2 representatives from among health ministers of national governments of foreign countries in which programs under this Act are administered;“(D) 3 members representing organizations implementing prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities under this Act;122 STAT. 2965“(E) 2 health care researchers with expertise relating to global HIV/AIDS activities; and“(F) representatives from among patient advocate groups, health care professionals, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and non-governmental organizations with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities, giving priority to individuals in foreign countries in which programs under this Act are administered.“(3) Duties of panel.—The Panel shall—“(A) assess the effectiveness of current activities in reaching the target described in subsection (b)(1);“(B) review scientific evidence related to the provision of mother-to-child transmission prevention services, including programmatic data and data from clinical trials;“(C) review and assess ways in which the Office of the United States Global AIDS Coordinator collaborates with international and multilateral entities on efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in affected countries;“(D) identify barriers and challenges to increasing access to mother-to-child transmission prevention services and evaluate potential mechanisms to alleviate those barriers and challenges;“(E) identify the extent to which stigma has hindered pregnant women from obtaining HIV counseling and testing or returning for results, and provide recommendations to address such stigma and its effects;“(F) identify opportunities to improve linkages between mother-to-child transmission prevention services and care and treatment programs; and“(G) recommend specific activities to facilitate reaching the target described in subsection (b)(1).“(4) Report.—“(A) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Panel is first convened, the Panel shall submit a report containing a detailed statement of the recommendations, findings, and conclusions of the Panel to the appropriate congressional committees.“(B) Availability.—The report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall be made available to the public.“(C) Consideration by coordinator.—The Coordinator shall—“(i) consider any recommendations contained in the report submitted under subparagraph (A); and“(ii) include in the annual report required under section 104A(f) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 a description of the activities conducted in response to the recommendations made by the Panel and an explanation of any recommendations not implemented at the time of the report.“(5) Authorization of appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Panel such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2011 to carry out this section.“(6) Termination.—The Panel shall terminate on the date that is 60 days after the date on which the Panel submits 122 STAT. 2966 the report to the appropriate congressional committees under paragraph (4).”.