TAKE ACTION: Needle Ban Fight Moves to Senate
We are too close to lifting the federal syringe exchange funding ban to
allow it to fail. Attempts to put it back in after it was removed in
House committee were defeated, but by a very close margin. What did
stick, unfortunately, was an amendment to deny federal funds to any SEP
within 1000 feet of a school, rec center, daycare center, playground,
video arcade, or anywhere groups of children may go on even an
occasional basis. For almost every existing syringe exchange project,
and in most cities overall, this would present a huge barrier. If your program would be ineligible to receive federal funds if this
1000 foot buffer zone is enacted, or if you care about the issue at
all, this is a KEY TIME for you to act. Send a letter directly to your Senator from our Online Action
Center and ask that they resist any restrictive amendments from both
the Financial Services and Labor, Health and Human Services
Appropriations bills, and to leave the decision of how and where to
offer services to the local public health and public safety
communities. Use the pre-written one provided or write
your own.
Expand access to lifesaving overdose prevention programs
Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) has introduced a federal overdose prevention bill with five co-sponsors. The Drug Overdose Reduction Act (H.R. 2855) would create a federal grant program to provide cities, states, tribal governments and community-based groups with funding to prevent and reduce overdose deaths; task the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with responsibility for reducing overdose deaths; commission studies on the efficacy of various strategies to reduce overdose deaths; and create a nationwide surveillance system for monitoring overdose trends.
The
next step is getting as many members of Congress as possible to
cosponsor the bill. Please take 2 minutes to
send a letter to your Member of Congress by clicking the title link.
Prevent CA state HIV prevention funding from total elimination!
HIV Prevention and Education programs funded by the State of
California are gravely at risk in the budget Governor Schwarzenegger
has sent to the California legislature. On the heels of Tuesday's
election and the defeat of initiatives 1A -1E, the Governor has
proposed a revised budget that would eliminate the ENTIRE $24.6 million
that currently funds these critically-needed HIV prevention and
education programs.
This cut would mean no money to the counties
for Syringe exchange programs, secondary syringe exchange, technical
assistance, and the elimination of the Injection Drug use specialist
position at the State Office of AIDS. These programs serve thousands and thousands of Californians. Please join us in contacting
your state senator and assembly person now to urge them to restore HIV
Prevention and Education program funding!
Bill introduced that would Lift the Federal Ban! Urge Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the Community AIDS & Hepatitis Prevention Act (CAHP) of 2008
Your activism to lift the federal ban on syringe exchange funding has made a difference, and for the first time in 20 years, we have legislation in Congress, the Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention (CAHP) Act of 2008, introduced by Representative Jose Serrano on July 30, that would eliminate all laws which prevent federal funding from being used by state and local jurisdictions for syringe exchange.
Now we need to find as many co-sponsors as possible for this legislation. Please send an email today urging your Representative to co-sponsor the CAHP Act of 2008, and encourage your friends, families and networks to do the same. Click here to send a free message to - you can either send the pre-written letter provided, amend it, or write your own.
Tell Your Story of the Effect Needle Exchange Has Had on Your Life
The Harm Reduction Coalition is seeking to share brief stories from individuals directly impacted by needle exchange programs with policymakers, media, and the public to support lifting the federal ban. Please, share yours here!
Write US Congress- Support the JUSTICE Act
HRC strongly supports Congresswoman Lee's "Justice for the Unprotected Against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed (JUSTICE) Act" to help stop the spread of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections in prisons. Join us in showing your support by sending a letter to your representative.
Fight the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Puerto Rico
Support Activists Fighting the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Puerto Rico. Unidos Dándole Cara al SIDA are a group of activists in Puerto Rico, New York, Washington, Chicago, Florida and other states mounting a campaign to ask the federal government to look into the misuse of federal Ryan White funds for services and medications for people living with HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico. As a result of a long history of mismanagement of funds in Puerto Rico, people with HIV/AIDS are not receiving medical treatment, meals, or transportation services. Agencies have not received funding that is held at the Municipio de San Juan and the Puerto Rico Department of Health causing many service providers to not get paid in 6-9 months. Many clinics in the island lack running water, fax machines, phones,computers, and other tools needed for effective work. In addition there is a waiting list for people to receive ADAP medications. Today we are asking you to join HRC, Unidos Dándole Cara al SIDA and many other organizations in this fight to restore HIV/AIDS services in Puerto Rico. | 
