Does your U.S. Representative support the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act?

In September 2011, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act, the first piece of federal legislation to take on the issue of HIV criminalization. The bill calls for review of all federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses and provides incentives for states to reconsider laws and practices that unfairly target people with HIV for consensual sex and conduct that poses no real risk of HIV transmission.

Currently, the bill, H.R. 3053, has 25 congressional co-sponsors:

Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI]
Rep Clarke, Hansen [MI-13]
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1]
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9]
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51]
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7]
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22]
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15]
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2]
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC]
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10]
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2]
Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5]
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16]
Rep Richardson, Laura [CA-37]
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34]
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1]
Rep Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [MP]
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9]
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16]
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13]
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10]
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35]
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6]

To see if your Representative has signed on as a co-sponsor, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php. Under "Enter Search" select "Bill Number" and type in "H.R. 3053." This will bring you to a list of updated co-sponsors.

If your Representative is not on this list, encourage her or him to take a closer look at this important legislation. To find out more about the the problems with HIV criminalization and the measures Representative Lee's bill takes to address them, check out this fact sheet.

Contact your Representative today! Visit http://www.house.gov/representatives/.