Lambda Legal attorney Shelly Skeen

Hearings on four bills targeting the LGBT community will be heard this week. Several bills target transitioning for LGBT youth. Another criminalized HIV-positive status.

• House Bill 1424 targets the LGBTQ+ Community and PLWH.  It allows a physician, nurse, staff member, or employee of a hospital or other health care facility to refuse to provide medical procedures (including life-saving care) based on their ethical, moral or religious beliefs.  It will be heard in the House Public Health Committee on Wednesday morning, April 14, 2021, at 9 a.m.

• HB 1399 targets transgender youth and medical malpractice insurance coverage.  It would prohibit certain procedures and treatments for gender transitioning, gender reassignment, or gender dysphoria and it would prohibit insurance companies from providing medical malpractice coverage for such care. It will be heard in the House Public Health Committee on Wednesday morning, April 14, 2021, at 9 a.m.

• HB 369 is a bill targeting those living with HIV. HB 369 criminalizes HIV as a health status. Whether a person living with HIV knowingly or unknowingly exposes another individual to HIV, HB369 would increase penalties for people living with HIV in a criminal proceeding. It will be heard in the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee in the House on Monday afternoon, April 14, 2021, at 1 p.m.

• Senate Bill 1646 is a bill targeting gender affirming care for transgender youth.  It would prohibit medical providers from providing transition related care, would expand the definition of child abuse to include such care, and it would criminalize such care. It will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday morning, April 14, 2021, at 9 a.m.

Lambda Legal attorney Shelly Skeen said there are two ways to help stop these bills. Call your legislators to voice your opinion. Also, share your story or opinion by uploading your testimony by 10 p.m. the night before the bill will be heard. That testimony will be distributed to everyone on the committee hearing the bill.

Upload testimony to https://secure.everyaction.com/cgbaZRCprUC9vd6mep0Blg2.

— David Taffet