Not later than September 30, 2008, the Secretary shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a severity of need index in accordance with subsection (c).

In this section, the term “severity of need index” means the index of the relative needs of individuals within a State or area, as identified by a number of different factors, and is a factor or set of factors that is multiplied by the number of living HIV/AIDS cases in a State or area, providing different weights to those cases based on needs. Such factors or set of factors may be different for different components of the provisions under this subchapter.

When the Secretary submits to the appropriate committees of Congress the severity of need index under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide the following:

(1) Methodology for and rationale behind developing the severity of need index, including information related to the field testing of the severity of need index.

(2) An independent contractor analysis of activities carried out under paragraph (1).

(3) Information regarding the process by which the Secretary received community input regarding the application and development of the severity of need index.

If the Secretary fails to submit the severity of need index under subsection (a) in either of fiscal years 2007 or 2008, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report for such fiscal year—

(1) that updates progress toward having client level data;

(2) that updates the progress toward having a severity of need index, including information related to the methodology and process for obtaining community input; and

(3) that, as applicable, states whether the Secretary could develop a severity of need index before fiscal year 2009.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XXVI, § 2687, as added and amended Pub. L. 109–415, title V, § 501, title VII, § 703, Dec. 19, 2006, 120 Stat. 2814, 2820; Pub. L. 111–87, § 2(a)(1), (3)(A), Oct. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 2885.)