Governors Likely to Urge More AIDS Funds, Education

The nation’s governors, gathered here for a four-day conference, are expected to adopt a broad AIDS policy today that calls for increased federal funding for education and research, more federal health care assistance and AIDS education in public schools.

The policy, which some governors say reflects their concerns that the federal government is not doing enough, was adopted Monday by a National Governors’ Assn. task force spearheaded by presidential hopeful Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, a Democrat. The 42 governors in attendance are expected to approve the policy today.

The policy also calls for focused AIDS education in the area of drug abuse, the leading cause of the disproportionate number of minority AIDS carriers, and urges changes in Medicaid provisions to allow states more flexibility in the use of those funds for medical treatment of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Clearinghouse Sought

The policy also calls for establishment of a federal clearinghouse to notify states and organizations about advancements in AIDS care and education and, finally, urges establishment of a federal AIDS commission.

That commission, the governors said, should include broad representation, such as state representatives and community-based organizations.

President Reagan has already established such a commission, but it has drawn criticism from two high-risk AIDS groups--minorities and homosexuals--who say they are not adequately represented on the panel.

The policy drew praise for Dukakis, chairman of the task force, and Gov. Edward DiPrete of Rhode Island, a Republican who first proposed that the governors adopt an AIDS policy in February.

“I see the proposed policy as a foundation not only for our policy, but for a joint state and federal policy,” said Gov. John R. McKernan Jr. of Maine, a Republican.

‘Do More’

“I think the federal government has more of a responsibility than it is showing,” DiPrete said. “But we are saying that, even if the federal government doesn’t do it, we are going to do more.”

The proposal fell short of suggesting mandatory AIDS education in public schools, DiPrete said, because not all governors can require that schools adopt the policy.

“I think the governors will go to their (state education officials) and tell them they would like to develop a curriculum that includes AIDS education,” said DiPrete, who has already made AIDS education mandatory in the junior high and high schools in his state.

The policy skirted one of the toughest and most controversial issues surrounding AIDS--mandatory and voluntary testing.

“We didn’t think we could get a consensus on testing,” Dukakis said.

Even between Dukakis and DiPrete, the two men most responsible for the policy, there is disagreement. Dukakis favors mandatory testing for the military--already imposed for recruits, active duty personnel and service academy students--and said the Immigration and Naturalization Service should have the authority to use mandatory testing for immigrants from areas with a high degree of risk. The Senate has endorsed adding AIDS to the list of contagious diseases for which immigrants are tested. DiPrete said he is against mandatory testing.

“There was confusion over what the tests say,” said Terry Yamauchi, a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Medical Sciences who assisted in the development of the policy. “We don’t have a good test that will tell us who’s infectious and who is not.”

Some of the policy initiatives, such as changes in Medicaid and increased federal funding for education and research, will require congressional action. DiPrete said governors will present the policy to their congressional delegations and ask them to carry it in Congress.