ATLANTA – State Representative Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) sponsored House Bill 454 during the 2017 legislative session, legislation which will serve as a regulatory guide to the Department of Public Health. This legislation would require all Department of Public Health facilities to provide individuals who undergo HIV testing with information dependent on their test results.
“I presented House Bill 454 to the House Health and Human Services Committee with the purpose of providing statutory guidance on HIV prevention for the Department of Public Health and county boards of health so that those who test negative for HIV are given information upon pre-exposure prophylaxis and post exposure prophylaxis,” said Rep. Cannon. “At discretion of the chair, the committee decided not to take a vote on HB 454. Instead, the Department of Public Health, Chairwoman Cooper and I came to a joint decision that we would use this legislation to guide an administrative ruling that leads us to same outcome.”
Under HB 454, if the individual tests positive for HIV infection, the public health facility would be required to inform the patient of all treatment options available, including any related on-going clinical trials. Additionally, the public health facility would be required to inform the patient of any follow-up testing and care, including medical and psychological services. If the patient tests negative for HIV infection, the public health facility would be required to inform the patient of the need for periodic testing and retesting in addition to information regarding the limitations of current testing technology and the current window period result verification. Further, the public health facility would be required to provide the patient with information regarding methods that prevent and reduce the risk of contracting HIV.
“I want to work collaboratively with community organizations, the Department of Public Health and the county boards of health for the state of Georgia to arrive at these measures being adopted through the public hearing process and administrative updates,” added Rep. Cannon. “I hope this collaboration will improve sexual health prevention outcomes for all of Georgia, but specifically for marginalized groups like pregnant women, LGBTQ+ families and seniors who rely on prevention information from public health facilities.”
HB 454 would also require the public health facility to disseminate information regarding pre-exposure prophylaxis, the only FDA approved method to prevent HIV, and post-exposure prophylaxis that prevents the progression of HIV by bringing people’s viral loads to being undetectable and therefore not transmittable.
“SPARK Reproductive Justice Now is pleased with the leadership of Rep. Cannon on the decision to adopt the language of HB 454 into Department of Public Health’s rules and regulations,” said SPARK lobbyist Devin Barrington-Ward. “This is a victory for all Georgians, but particularly Black women and queer youth of color who are disproportionately impacted by HIV and can benefit from increased access to PREP and PEP. We were excited to approach Rep. Cannon with this innovative piece of legislation and we thank her for her leadership on this issue. We look forward to continue working with Rep. Cannon, Chairwoman Cooper and the leadership of Department of Public Health on this and other HIV prevention and treatment issues.”
For more information on HB 454, please click here.
Representative Park Cannon represents the citizens of District 58, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2016, and currently serves on the Code Revision, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance, and Small Business Development committees.
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