Dear Legislators, Sirs and Madams:

We are since 1999, to our knowledge, the only PLWHA founded,

and voluntarily operated Non-Profit

Community Based Organization in Puerto Rico. PSPS provides thousands of PLWHA and their families with tools so they

understand their civil rights, promoting advocacy, empowerment and providing service referrals, among other services.

Accountability wise we have maintained a vigilant eye on State and Municipal funding to AIDS Service Providers here in Puerto Rico, for the past six (6), (going on seven (7) years ),after the scandalous San Juan AIDS Institute convictions, in which $2.4 million dollars destined to AIDS patients were embezzled.

For the past five (7) years we have documented and witnessed, along with other fellow HIV/AIDS members of the RWCA Title 1 Planning Council, how the San Juan AIDS Task Force, through questionable actions, ineffective distribution of funds, and untimely dissemination of vital and pertinent information, (in regards to changes in expectations, treatments and Quality Assurance), has demonstrated, (through its actions), a high degree of insensibility. This is non-compliance of

federal laws.

We have worked together with other NGOs during all these years, to advice and even delineated correction plans for more effective distribution of funds, yet these NGOs still find themselves having to

wait for months, time again and again, often having to let go Title I contracted employees due to non payment related to factors caused

by an ineffective administration of funds. It seems that the municipality lacks the in house expertise to carry out important and time sensitive tasks in order to provide the highest quality of services and treatment

to guarantee adherence to life saving medications, in order not to

create resistance to them. Sadly too, we must point out that this same situation happens with funds administered by the Department of

Health of Puerto Rico; specifically Title II funding.

All this serves as evidence that the current millions of life saving dollars destined for this segment of our population are not adequately being administrated, (the AIDS Task Force has had numerous vacancies in

its administrative body and no inmediate actions have been taken. Furthermore the Department of Health as also had corrective

measures , which to our knowledge are still pending.) as stated by:

THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT:A COMPILATION OF THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT OF 1990 [Pub. L.

101-381], AS AMENDED BY THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1996 [Pub. L. 104-146]

AND THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2000 [Pub. L. 106-345]

Public Law 101—381. Section 2 of that Public Law provides as follows: “It is the purpose of this Act to provide emergency assistance to localities that are disproportionately affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States and other public or private nonprofit entities to

provide for the development, organization, coordination and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals and families with HIV disease.”