On Oct 4, The Indiana General Assembly interim legislative study committee declared unanimous support for modernizing Indiana’s HIV criminal Laws. Dr. Carrie Foote, a national expert on HIV stigma and criminal law reform, from the IU Indianapolis Sociology Department and chair of the HIV Modernization Movement-Indiana was among key experts testifying in favor of reform. The Indiana Public Defenders Council, The Indiana State Medical Association, the Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Disability Rights and the Indiana Red Cross were also among groups making the case for reform at their meeting with the panel in August. “Our understanding of HIV has changed a lot since the 1980s when this was enacted, and a lot of the testimony showed that a lot of our current laws surrounding the criminal penalties for HIV are no longer valid,” committee chair Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, said.
Click here to watch a news report on the committee’s decision.
Click here for an article in the Capitol Chronicle.
