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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 22, 2024 03:47 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ben Waxman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Designating February 28, 2024, as “HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day” |
| Punitive action is being taken against many Pennsylvanians; only these individuals did not commit a crime, rather, it is their health they are being punished for. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) criminalization is the practice of charging individuals, living with HIV, with crimes for conduct that would not be a crime or be a less serious crime if not for their HIV status. In Pennsylvania, this practice continues to be used to prosecute people primarily in marginalized communities, such as women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. To address this injustice, I will be introducing a resolution to designate February 28, 2024, as “HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day” in Pennsylvania. HIV is a chronic illness that can be effectively managed with anti-retroviral therapy, and since the early days of the HIV epidemic, science, treatment, and prevention has progressed significantly. Individuals now possess effective mechanisms to prevent the spread of HIV. However, misconceptions about HIV transmission, treatment, and prevention continue to guide our outdated laws, and prevent people who are living with, or at risk for, HIV from receiving the health care, services, and respect they need and deserve. Please join me in supporting this vital message. By highlighting these outdated laws and practices to the General Assembly and to the people of the Commonwealth, we can help to end the stigma associated with HIV. |
Introduced as HR310
Memo Updated: January 22, 2024 03:48 PM