CHLP20 Timeline
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary year in 2025, take a look back at select highlights from CHLP's history.
2005
CHLP is founded by attorney Catherine Hanssens as the first and only national legal resource and strategy center expanding and supporting the response to the unaddressed legal needs of individuals living with or at risk of HIV.
- Begins a relationship with the Fund for the City of New York as its fiscal sponsor.
- Begins operations out of the offices of SMART (Sisters Mobilized for AIDS Research and Treatment) in midtown Manhattan.
CHLP submits comments on behalf of SMART in response to a draft report of the NYC Commission on HIV/AIDS, endorsing some recommendations and criticizing those that show an over-reliance on testing without adequate counseling, confidentiality, or a concrete plan for linkage to services. Comments on the May 2005 Draft Report of the New York City Commission on HIV/AIDS, Sisters Mobilized for AIDS Research and Treatment (SMART
2006
CHLP debuts pioneering, multi-issue HIV policy Resource Bank on its website with legal resources to increase the advocacy power of attorneys, community members, service providers, and all people living with HIV. Wayback Machine: CHLP Website 2006
CHLP authors report calling for evidence-based methods to reduce racial disparities in HIV testing, care, and outcomes, and arguing against the elimination of pre-test counseling, informed consent, and written proof of such consent prior to HIV testing as unproven and unsound responses. Racial Disparities in HIV Care and Outcome: A Call for an Evidence-based Response
CHLP moves into its own office space at 65 Broadway in lower Manhattan.
2007
CHLP earns an apology from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that affirmed written complaints about a report that featured false and misleading claims about pediatric clinical trials of AIDS medicines that included foster children living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. CHLP Wins BBC Apology.
CHLP and allies draft principles to inform communities and policymakers working on expanded HIV testing programs that are endorsed by a coalition of 70+ human rights, medical, HIV service, and related organizations from across the country. More than 70 Medical, Legal, Religious, Service and Related Organizations and Experts Endorse Principles for Implementation of Expanded HIV Testing Programs
CHLP announces Teen SENSE, a first-of-its-kind national project to make comprehensive sexual health and HIV services a core part of basic health services provided to youth in detention and foster care facilities.
CHLP creates Women’s Advocacy Resource Connection (WARC), a web-based capacity-building project to supplement advocacy by and for women living with HIV, featuring resources on issues that affect women living with HIV at local, state, and national levels.
2008
CHLP and allies submit comments endorsed by 35 organizations to the CDC regarding its draft implementation guidance for HIV testing expansion in correctional settings. Thirty-Five Groups Join Comments Submitted to CDC on HIV Testing in Correctional Settings
CHLP inquiry prompts revision of U.S. Public Health Service Task Force Perinatal Guidelines Working Group recommendations that reaffirm the right of pregnant women with HIV to control medical decision-making for themselves and their children.
CHLP publishes a legal primer on housing rights for people living with HIV facing discrimination in housing or in need of housing assistance, which is the first in a series on legal issues facing people living with HIV. CHLP Publishes Primer on Housing Rights
CHLP presents at AIDS 2008 - the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. CHLP presents at AIDS 2008 - the XVII International AIDS Conference
CHLP chairs a working group that authors a transition document for the incoming Obama administration on HIV-related civil rights issues. Advocacy Organizations Author Document on Civil Rights Issues for New Administration (2008)
2009
CHLP co-authors an amicus brief with a coalition of legal and public health advocates that overturns the prison sentence and helps secure the release of a woman whose term was extended because she is pregnant and living with HIV. CHLP Co-Authors Amicus Brief on Behalf of HIV-Positive Pregnant Woman
CHLP and 13 organizations partner in issuing policy directives to the Office of National AIDS Policy and related federal agencies to advance the health and rights of women living with HIV in the National AIDS and Health Care Strategy. CHLP and Partners Issue Recommendations to Advance Women in National AIDS and Health Care Strategy.
CHLP releases groundbreaking report and guide that charts the intersecting medical, ethical, and legal issues that can arise for women living with HIV who are or may become pregnant. CHLP Releases First Legal and Medical Guide on HIV and Pregnancy.
2010
CHLP launches the Positive Justice Project, the first national campaign to repeal HIV criminal laws and to end the discriminatory arrest and imprisonment of people living with HIV by the criminal justice system.
CHLP and allies submit comments to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding its proposed standards for the elimination of sexual assault in state and federal correctional facilities that emphasize the importance of comprehensive sexual health care for youth in state custody. In Comments to the DOJ, Teen SENSE Partners Make the Connection Between Sexual Health Care and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse in Youth Correctional Facilities.
CHLP offers praise and critique of the Obama Administration’s new National AIDS Strategy for the treatment and prevention needs of people living with or affected by HIV.
https://www.hivlawandpolicy.org/news/national-hivaids-strategy-hiv-criminalization-and-civil-rights-how-did-we-fare-2010 Obama Administration Releases Long-Awaited National AIDS Strategy.
CHLP hosts the first national WARC electronic forum to collect the shared experiences of women living with HIV experiencing discrimination and to address the gaps in civil rights protections for women living with HIV. First National E-Forum on Women and HIV Begins! The Women's Advocacy Resource Connection Electronic Forum (WARC E-Forum)
CHLP publishes legal primer on employment discrimination to bolster advocacy on behalf of individuals who experience unfair treatment in the workplace because they are living with HIV. The Center for HIV Law and Policy Releases Primer on Employment Discrimination and the Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
CHLP releases the first comprehensive, state-by-state analysis of HIV-specific criminal laws and prosecutions as a resource for lawyers and community advocates on the laws, cases, and trends that define HIV criminalization in the United States.
Release of First State by State Analysis of HIV Specific Criminal Laws and Prosecutions as Part of CHLP's Positive Justice Project. (Ending and Defending) CHLP Releases First Comprehensive Manual on HIV Criminal Prosecutions and Statutes in the United States.
CHLP released the first legal report and guide on the rights of youth in detention and foster care facilities to comprehensive sexual health care, including sexual medical care, sexuality education, and staff training on sexual orientation and the needs and rights of LGBTQ+ youth. CHLP Releases First Guide On The Rights of Youth in State Custody to Full Sexual Health Care.
2011
CHLP publishes a report on the legal needs of Southerners living with HIV to inform program planning and resource allocation for HIV-related services. Center for HIV Law and Policy Releases New Report on Legal Needs of Southerners Living with HIV (2011)
CHLP releases a briefing paper on practical and legal questions often raised about using criminal law as a response to women's risk of HIV transmission. CHLP Releases New Resource on Women and HIV Criminalization (2011)
CHLP praises NASTAD's statement calling for an end to HIV criminalization as a model for HIV organizations and advocates. NASTAD Releases Statement Calling for An End to HIV Criminalization
CHLP joins a coalition letter in support of civil rights complaints and expressing serious concerns about the systemic mistreatment of LGBTQ and HIV positive people in immigration detention facilities. Lambda Legal and Partners Send DHS Letter on Rights of LGBT and HIV Positive Persons in Immigration Detention (2011)
CHLP’s Teen SENSE program and partners create an eight-week intensive summer program for peer educators to advocate for change in New York state custodial facilities to ensure youth in state custody have comprehensive sexual health care. CHLP Partners with Hetrick Martin Institute
CHLP’s Positive Justice Project members endorse the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) that calls for review of all federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses. Positive Justice Project Members Endorse REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act
2012
CHLP joins 15 national HIV advocacy organizations in an amicus brief in support of the Affordable Care Act and to argue in support of ensuring fair access to health care for people living with HIV. The Center for HIV Law and Policy Joins U.S. Supreme Court Brief in Support of Affordable Care Act.
CHLP releases model policies designed for use by agencies and jurisdictions that provide services for youth in detention and foster care centers. Center for HIV Law and Policy Releases Model Policies for the Sexual Health Care of Youth in State Custody.
CHLP and advocacy organizations submit an amicus brief in a case that secures the release of a man living with HIV following a New York Court of Appeals ruling vacating his conviction for aggravated assault on the basis that his saliva was not a "dangerous instrument.” David Plunkett to be released from prison following NY Court of Appeals ruling (2012)
CHLP’s Positive Justice Project issues a national consensus statement on the urgent need to modernize HIV criminal laws and prosecutorial policies. National Consensus Statement Against HIV Criminalization in U.S. Released.
2013
CHLP convenes a prosecutorial guidelines summit in NYC with prosecutors from every region of the country to review the science of HIV transmission and treatment, and potential areas of consensus on how to modernize criminal laws that affect people living with HIV.
CHLP acknowledges the work of advocates who pushed for the passage of a resolution by the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) calling for federal action against HIV criminalization. President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS(PACHA) approves resolution calling for federal action against HIV criminalization (2013)
CHLP, with police and prosecutorial partners, creates a fact sheet to educate law enforcement on the real risks of HIV from possible exposure to the bodily fluids of those they police. CHLP, NOBLE and the AAPA Release New Fact Sheet for Police on HIV Risks.
CHLP authors amicus brief in case on behalf of a transgender woman living with HIV who successfully appeals deportation proceedings triggered by an arrest for sex work. It's Final: Transgender Woman Living with HIV Can Stay in the U.S. (2013)
2014
CHLP praises joint article on HIV criminalization by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a viable tool in legal and policy advocacy to end HIV-specific criminal laws. DOJ/CDC Joint Article on HIV Criminalization: A Good Start? Or Be Careful What You Wish For?
CHLP, as a founding member of the LGBT/HIV Federal Criminal Justice Policy Working Group, helps produce a roadmap for federal policy recommendations to address cycles of discrimination and criminalization faced by people living with HIV and the LGBTQ+ community. New Report Recommends Federal Action to Address Pervasive Profiling, Punishment and Imprisonment of LGBT People and People Living with HIV (2014)
CHLP presents at the inaugural HIV is Not a Crime Conference. Advocates Speak at the HIV is Not a Crime Conference
CHLP’s Positive Justice Project helps secure a resolution by the American Medical Association opposing HIV criminalization. The AMA Adopts a Resolution Opposing HIV Criminalization (2014)
CHLP files an amicus brief in support of a man living with HIV to the Iowa Supreme Court, which overturns his conviction, refusing to treat sexual conduct as sufficient evidence of intent to expose another to HIV. Victory in Iowa: State Supreme Court Overturns HIV Conviction (2014)
2015
CHLP files an amicus brief in a case before the New York Court of Appeals that ruled in favor of a man living with HIV, denying the prosecution’s proposed felony charge for consensual sex. New York’s Highest Court Says ‘No’ to the Felony Prosecution of a Person Living with HIV for Having Consensual Sex (2015)
CHLP’s Positive Justice Project releases a set of principles to guide the modernization of state HIV criminal laws across the country. National Coalition Releases Principles for HIV Criminal Law Reform (2015),
CHLP authors recommendations for updates to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) that is endorsed by 19 organizations and individuals, and submitted to the Office of National AIDS Policy.
Recommendations for Updates to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2015).
CHLP participates in a Congressional briefing on HIV criminalization and the REPEAL ACT sponsored by the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus. CHLP Among Panelists at Congressional HIV Criminalization Briefing.
2016
CHLP commends a resolution by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) condemning HIV-related criminal prosecutions. National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) passes resolution calling for an end to HIV criminal laws and prosecutions
CHLP files an amicus brief to the New York Court of Appeals supporting review of the indefinite civil confinement of a man living with HIV based on his sexual history and HIV status.
CHLP Files Amicus Brief Supporting Review of Nushawn Williams' Civil Commitment (2016)
CHLP attends a historic meeting organized by the National LGBTQ/HIV Criminal Justice Working Group at the White House with 150 formerly incarcerated people, policymakers, and advocates to discuss the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ people and people living with HIV in the criminal legal system. White House Hosts Historic Meeting on LGBTQ People and People Living with HIV in the U.S. Criminal Justice System (2016).
CHLP joins advocacy calling for the protection of the rights of people living with HIV under the Trump administration. Action Alert: Take Action to Protect the Rights of People Living with HIV and All Americans Under the New Administration (2016)
2017
CHLP publishes a revised and updated Sourcebook that catalogues and analyzes state and federal HIV criminal laws in the United States. New Sourcebook on HIV Criminalization in the United States Released
CHLP releases a consensus statement to clarify the role of HIV Treatment as Prevention (TasP) in criminal law reform with nine endorsing partner orgs and endorsed by 70+ organizations and individuals. Consensus Statement on HIV "Treatment as Prevention" in Criminal Law Reform, The Center for HIV Law and Policy et al. (2017)
CHLP publishes two toolkits that highlight and encourage intersections between advocacy for HIV criminal law reform, decriminalization of sex work, and safe syringe access. Webinar: Introducing HIV Criminalization Beyond Non-Disclosure: Advocacy Toolkits on Intersections with Sex Work and Syringe Use (2017).
2018
CHLP launches Team ATAC (The ADA to Attack Criminalization), an innovative legal strategy to use the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act to overturn HIV criminalization laws. Team ATAC
CHLP and partners release a fact sheet on viral hepatitis criminalization laws and host the first national convening on viral hepatitis criminalization in the U.S. News Release: CHLP, Harm Reduction Coalition, and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable Release New Fact Sheet, Announce First National Convening on Viral Hepatitis Criminalization in the United States (2018)
News Release: HIV Criminal Law Reform: A Call to Action
CHLP debuts national SHYAC coalition to advocate for the sexual health rights of youth in state custody with the launch of a campaign, website, and consensus statement.
New National Coalition Launches Campaign for Sexual Health Rights of Youth in State Custody (SHYAC) (2018)
2019
CHLP submits an amicus brief to the Missouri Supreme Court on behalf of a former college wrestler living with HIV and celebrates his early release on parole after being imprisoned for nearly six years for the alleged failure to disclose his HIV status before sex. Michael Johnson Released on Parole, Heads Back to Indiana (2019)
CHLP develops resources to review the scientific and public health implications of molecular HIV surveillance and discuss how this technology fits in with ongoing HIV criminalization advocacy. Webinar: Is HIV Molecular Surveillance Worth The Risk? (2019); Blog: Is HIV Molecular Surveillance Worth The Risk?; Fact Sheet: Is HIV Molecular Surveillance Worth The Risk?, The Center for HIV Law and Policy (2019)
CHLP and partners submit written comments to the CDC to express continued support for HIV testing protocols that recognize the vital importance of strong protections of patients’ rights to clear, oral notice of and consent to HIV testing.
CHLP, AIDS United and The Well Project tell the CDC to maintain the right to real notice of and consent to HIV testing (2019)
2020
CHLP provides support and analysis to Washington state advocates in a successful effort to reform the state’s HIV criminal laws. Washington State Advocates Succeed in Reforming State’s HIV Criminal Law (2020)
CHLP responds to the pandemic by urging public health approaches rather than criminal justice responses to COVID-19, as well as ethical principles for care allocation and vaccine prioritization. News Release: National Groups Propose Pathways for Using Public Health Approaches to Guide the Criminal Justice Response to COVID-19 and Beyond (2020; CHLP Authors Letter on Ethical Principles for COVID Care Allocation in New York State (2020); CHLP Testifies before New York State Senate on the Impact of COVID-19 on Prisons and Jails (2020)
CHLP participates in an ad hoc committee of AIDS United Public Policy Council to develop a position statement outlining how to utilize the benefits of molecular HIV surveillance technology while protecting privacy and preventing misuse of information by the criminal legal system.
Position Statement on the Use of Molecular Surveillance to Track HIV Transmission Networks, AIDS United Public Policy Council (2020)
2021
CHLP submits comments on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, opposing provisions that weaken the Privacy Rule and make it easier to share personal health care information with law enforcement. CHLP Submits Comments on HHS Proposed Change to HIPAA Privacy Rule (2021)
CHLP assists state advocacy groups in a successful effort to reform Nevada’s discriminatory HIV criminal laws. Nevada Passes Law Reforming HIV Criminal Laws (2021)
CHLP hosts a prosecutors' roundtable to provide up-to-date information on the science of infectious disease as it relates to the work of prosecutors and law enforcement in New York City. CHLP and APA Host Prosecutors Roundtable in New York City
CHLP partners with advocates in New Jersey who led reform efforts that led to new guidance for prosecutors statewide that decriminalizes sexual activity by people living with HIV. New Jersey Attorney General Issues Guidance on Decriminalizing Sexual Activity by People Living with HIV
2022
CHLP calls on the Department of Justice to investigate HIV criminal laws in Ohio and Tennessee with complaints alleging that the laws violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law prohibiting disability-based discrimination. CHLP Calls on Justice Department to Investigate HIV Criminal Laws in Ohio and Tennessee
CHLP observes the inaugural HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day with a presentation on promoting criminal justice reform to protect marginalized communities and end mass incarceration.
CHLP Joins Mississippi Center for Justice for Webinar Observing Inaugural HIV Criminalization Awareness Day
CHLP notes mixed victory as a federal district court judge’s decision that the U.S. military's long-standing policy of banning servicemembers living with HIV from active duty is unconstitutional only applies to those who are undetectable and "asymptomatic." News: Judge Strikes U.S. Military's Ban on Service for Some, But not All, People Living with HIV
CHLP partners with the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in a historic prosecutor roundtable to consider concrete ways to modernize state criminal laws and the criminal justice response to HIV-specific criminal laws. White House Office of National AIDS Policy Hosts Historic Prosecutor Roundtable on HIV Criminal Law
CHLP announces leadership change as New Orleans activist and attorney S. Mandisa Moore-O’Neal succeeds Catherine Hanssens as Executive Director. CHLP Announces Leadership Change
CHLP amicus brief to the Virginia Supreme Court is validated as court’s decision ends the state’s latest efforts to indefinitely civilly commit a man living with HIV as a “sexually violent predator.” News Release: Virginia Supreme Court Ruling Vindicates Activist
2023
CHLP and partners create the Sex Health Alliance, a national initiative to combine grant-making and legal technical assistance to address the criminalization of sexual behavior and health status.
CHLP amicus brief urges New York Court of Appeals not to enforce harsh Louisiana law that requires sex offense registration for a man living with HIV who moved to New York. News Release: Not in New York—CHLP Urges Court of Appeals Not to Enforce Harsh Louisiana Law Against Man Living with HIV
CHLP joins amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of contraceptive access for youth in Texas. CHLP Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Contraceptive Access for Youth in Texas
CHLP joins networks of people living with HIV in petitioning the CDC to be involved in determining molecular HIV surveillance policy. News Release: Networks of People Living with HIV Petition CDC to be Involved in Determining Molecular HIV Surveillance Policy
CHLP celebrates success of Team ATAC complaints as the Department of Justice finds the enforcement of Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with HIV violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). News Release: CHLP Made the Call and the DOJ Answered
CHLP doubles the size of our program and infrastructure support teams, with a staff and advisory board that are geographically diverse and proudly and strongly representative of Black and brown, queer, and Southern communities. Impact Report, CHLP (2023)
2024
CHLP enters into a partnership with the Bluhm Legal Clinic’s LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where students will research and analyze laws related to HIV criminalization and support CHLP’s work to challenge these laws. 100424 #Team2Dream Northwestern
CHLP applauds the agreement between the DOJ and Shelby County, Tennessee, to stop prosecuting people living with HIV using Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution law, and the removal of aggravated prostitution as a registerable violent sexual offense throughout the state.
News Release: CHLP Applauds Historic Agreement Between DOJ and Shelby County to Cease Enforcing Law that Discriminates Against People Living with HIV; News Release: Tennessee Removes Aggravated Prostitution from Offenses Requiring Sex Offender Registration
CHLP releases primer addressing legal issues facing the rapidly expanding population of older people living and aging with HIV. CHLP Releases Primer Addressing Legal Issues Facing People Living and Aging with HIV
CHLP responds to the 2024 elections with commitments to moving our important legal and policy work forward in an increasingly hostile political climate. A Message from Organizations Committed to Advancing LGBTQIA2S+ Freedom Beyond the 2024 Elections; Our Work Continues … the Political Terrain is Steeper
CHLP releases new resources focused on explaining the issues related to Molecular HIV Surveillance and providing a policy path to protect data privacy as a means to improve access to healthcare. CHLP Releases Two New MHS Resources on World AIDS Day
CHLP submits comments to the CDC regarding notice and consent in HIV testing that address the importance of guaranteeing the right to give informed consent to medical care. CHLP Submits Comments to the CDC Regarding Notice and Consent in HIV Testing
2025
CHLP proudly celebrates 20 years of advocacy, innovation, and unwavering commitment to HIV justice with a New York City reception in New York City. CHLP Kicks-off 20th Anniversary with Celebration in New York City
CHLP’s Positive Justice Project announces a comprehensive update of its signature HIV criminalization map resource that details the laws used to prosecute and punish PLHIV across the country. CHLP Releases New HIV Criminalization Maps
CHLP supports successful coalition efforts as Maryland becomes the fifth state to repeal its HIV criminalization law. Maryland Repeals HIV Criminalization Law
CHLP and partners file amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Braidwood, which is decided in favor of guaranteeing free access to HIV prevention medication (PrEP) and other essential preventive services. Black-led Organizations Celebrate Supreme Court Ruling That Preserves Coverage of PrEP and Other Preventive Services; National Coalition of HIV, LGBTQ+ and Health Advocates Applauds Court Decision Upholding Law that Ensures Access to PrEP and other Healthcare Preventive Services
CHLP condemns a Trump administration executive order attacking evidence-based public health approaches like Housing First and harm reduction, while expanding carceral strategies such as civil confinement and increased surveillance of marginalized communities. Statement: From Ugly Laws to the Executive Order and Beyond--We Reject Defunding and Criminalization
CHLP develops a resource to support advocacy against New York’s shadow prison system that indefinitely detains people based on hypothetical risk and operates outside the protections of the criminal legal system. New York's Shadow Prisons, CHLP (2025)
CHLP produces a comprehensive Strategic Plan, after a year-long collaborative process, that grounds the organization’s work in shared abolitionist values and lays out a four-year plan for the organization.