; Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives in the United States each year, and in 2014 alone, there were 19,659 deaths due to Hepatitis C in the United States; Whereas an individual who has become chronically infected with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C may not have symptoms for up to 40 years after being infected; Whereas some groups of individuals in the United States have a higher rate of chronic viral hepatitis infection than other groups of individuals in the United States, including African-Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, gay and bisexual men, and individuals who inject drugs intravenously; Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of Hepatitis B-related deaths in the United States; Whereas Hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV; Whereas Hepatitis C is 10 times more infectious than HIV; Whereas an estimated 25 percent of individuals in the United States who are infected with HIV are also infected with Hepatitis C; Whereas life expectancies for individuals infected with HIV have increased with antiretroviral treatment, and liver disease (largely attributed to Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infections) has become the most common cause of death among this population, aside from acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Whereas, despite the fact that chronic viral hepatitis is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States, an estimated 65 percent of individuals with Hepatitis B and an estimated 75 percent of individuals with Hepatitis C are unaware of the infection; Whereas Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, and both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are preventable with proper public health interventions, including programs that offer access to sterile injection equipment for individuals who inject drugs intravenously; Whereas effective and safe treatment is available for individuals with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, including new curative treatments for Hepatitis C