California: AB 2812 Would Outlaw Anonymous Testing

A bill in the California legislature (AB 2812, Bondonaro, Republican, Santa Barbara) would end anonymous testing in the state by adding HIV infection to the list of diseases that must be reported to the State Department of Health Services. The practical result would be that many people will avoid being tested, and miss early treatment if they are infected, as well as missing the prevention education they would get no matter how the test turns out. According to the Grass Roots Networks of AIDS Project Los Angeles, "AB 2812 is sponsored by the Capitol Resources Institute, an extremely conservative lobbying group affiliated with Focus on the Family and State Senator Rob Hurtt. These are the same folks that support quarantine camps for all people living with HIV and AIDS!"

A hearing is scheduled for April 16 in the Assembly Health Committee. You can help by writing to your California Assembly representative opposing AB 2812, and by getting others to do so.

For more information on this and other California issues, and what you can do, call the Grass Roots Hotline at 213/993-1680. It is a 24 hour voicemail information number, but it lets you reach a person during business hours.