April 17, 2017 The Honorable Scott Wiener State Capitol, Room 4066 Sacramento, CA 95814-4900

A New PATH Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing

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2527 Doubletree Road ~ Spring Valley, CA 91978 Phone (619) 670-1184 ~ Fax (619) 670-1184 ~ E-mail: anewpath@cox.net / website: www.anewpathsite.org

Executive Director Gretchen Burns Bergman Co-Founder Caroline Stewart President Susan Thornton-Zetino Vice President Leah Cotton-Testone Treasurer Kelley Gebbie Secretary Margaret Dooley-Sammuli Anita Fisher Alex Fuller Rev. Dennis Malone Julia Negron John Whitaker, Dir. Kamran Zafar Advisory Board Dr. David Bergman Psychiatrist Dr. Claudio Cabrejos Psychiatrist Judge Robert Coates San Diego Superior Court Dr. Ken Khoury Psychiatrist Sylvia Liwerant Co-Founder Jessica McElfresh Attorney Mick Meagher Attorney at Law John de Miranda NAADD Dr. Rodrigo Muñoz Psychiatrist Tom O’Donnell Co-Founder Dr. Bruce Pevney Addiction Medicine Donald Stewart Professor Whitney A. Taylor Drug Policy Consultant Honorary Committee Laura Cain Geni Cavitt Rory Devine Kate Linder Chris Kennedy Lawford Chuck Negron Mackenzie Phillips Tommy Sablan Glenn Scarpelli Carrie White Director of Operations April Ella

February 24, 2017 The Honorable Scott Wiener State Capitol, Room 4066 Sacramento, CA 95814-4900 RE: SB 239 (Wiener) – SUPPORT Dear Senator Wiener, A New PATH is pleased to support your SB 239 (Wiener), which would modernize laws that criminalize and stigmatize people living with HIV. A New PATH works to reduce the stigma associated with addictive illness through education and compassionate support and to advocate for therapeutic rather than punitive drug policies. During the 1980s and 1990s, fear and ignorance about HIV and its transmission led California to enact discriminatory criminal laws targeting people living with HIV. These laws created unique restrictions on and harsher punishment for people living with HIV compared to people living with other communicable diseases. Since then, effective treatments have been developed that dramatically lengthen and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV. Successfully treated, people living with HIV have a near normal life expectancy and the risk of transmission to others is negligible to nonexistent. Current HIV-specific criminal laws in California fail to reflect a science-based understanding of HIV prevention, treatment and transmission. Research suggests that criminal laws targeting HIV have done nothing to further public health, as they have not been found to influence people’s behaviors or reduce the number of new infections. Instead, these laws have been found to disproportionately impact women and people of color in California. While women living with HIV comprise only 13 percent of people living with HIV, they make up 43 percent of those criminalized under California’s HIV-specific criminal laws. Furthermore, while about half of people living with HIV in California are Black or Latino, two thirds of people criminalized under HIV specific laws are Black or Latino. Thus, criminal prosecution under these laws serves only to fuel continued stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and communities disproportionately impacted by HIV. California criminal law should take the same approach to HIV as it does to other serious communicable diseases. We support promoting public health by reducing HIV stigma and eliminating any remaining barriers to testing and care. For these reasons, we support SB 239 and your effort to bring California law into line with current science. Sincerely,

Gretchen Burns Bergman Executive Director & Co-Founder cc: The Honorable Todd Gloria The Honorable David Chiu Members and Committee Staff, Senate Committees on Health and Public Safety

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RE: SB 239 (Wiener) – SUPPORT Dear Senator Wiener, The undersigned health, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, HIV/AIDS, racial justice, criminal justice, and immigration organizations are pleased to support SB 239 (Wiener), which would modernize laws that criminalize and stigmatize people living with HIV. During the 1980s and 1990s, fear and ignorance about HIV and its transmission led California to enact discriminatory criminal laws targeting people living with HIV. These laws created unique restrictions on and harsher punishment for people living with HIV compared to people living with other communicable diseases. Since then, effective treatments have been developed that dramatically lengthen and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV. Successfully treated, people living with HIV have a near normal life expectancy and the risk of transmission to others is negligible to nonexistent. Current HIV-specific criminal laws in California fail to reflect a science-based understanding of HIV prevention, treatment and transmission. Research suggests that criminal laws targeting HIV have done nothing to further public health, as they have not been found to influence people’s behaviors or reduce the number of new infections. Instead, these laws have been found to disproportionately impact women and people of color in California. While women living with HIV comprise only 13 percent of people living with HIV, they make up 43 percent of those criminalized under California’s HIV-specific criminal laws. Furthermore, while about half of people living with HIV in California are Black or Latino, two thirds of people criminalized under HIV specific laws are Black or Latino. Thus, criminal prosecution under these laws serves only to fuel continued stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and communities disproportionately impacted by HIV. California criminal law should take the same approach to HIV as it does to other serious communicable diseases. We support promoting public health by reducing HIV stigma and eliminating any remaining barriers to testing and care. For these reasons, we support SB 239 and your effort to bring California law into line with current science. Sincerely, Becca Cramer Legislative Coordinator ACLU of California Craig E. Thompson Chief Executive Officer APLA Health Phill Wilson Presdient & Chief Executive Officer Black AIDS Institute Rick Zbur Executive Director Equality California

Scott A. Schoettes HIV Policy Director/Senior Attorney Lambda Legal Naina Khanna Executive Director Positive Women’s Network Gretchen Burns Bergman Executive Director & Co-Founder A New Path Lawrence Foy Director/Public Policy & Advocacy A New Way of Life – Reentry Project

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Rachel Coe Public Policy & Trainings Director Access – Women’s Health Justice Erin Garner-Ford Executive Director Act for Women and Girls Dr. Philippe Rey Executive Director Adolescent Counseling Services Chanel Preston Chairperson Adult Performer Advocacy Committee Bill Hirsh Executive Director AIDS Legal Referral Panel Minister Rob Newells Executive Director AIDS Project East Bay Philip Yaeger Executive Director/CEO AIDS Services Foundation Orange County Marc Philpart Principal Coordinator Alliance for Boys and Men of Color Andrew T. Medina California Policy Manager Asian Americans Advancing Justice Richard Konda Executive Director Asian Law Alliance Miya Yoshitani Executive Director Asian Pacific Environmental Network Peter Catalanotti Board Co-Chair Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom Garry George Bowie Executive Director Being Alive

Brendan O’Connell, MSW Director of Programs and Services Bienestar Gabrielle Antolovich Board President Billy DeFrank LGBT Center Nourbese Flint M.A. Policy Director Black Women for Wellness B. Cole Founder and Director Brown Boi Project Ignacio Hernandez Legislative Advocate California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Angelo Williams Deputy Director California Black Health Network Boyce R. Hinman Founder California Communities United Institute Charles Bean Executive Director California IHSS Consumer Alliance Betzabel Estudillo Health Policy Manager California Immigrant Policy Center Sandy Valenciano State Coordinator California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance Myra Gissel R. Duran Senior Policy Manager California Latinas for Reproductive Justice Kimberly Chen Government Affairs Manager California Pan-Ethnic Health Network Kathy Moore, MSW Executive Director California Partnership

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Betsy Butler Executive Director California Women’s Law Center John J. Banters Director of Government Relations Californians for Safety and Justice Diana Zuñiga Statewide Coordinator Californians United for a Responsible Budget Jenna J. Rapuis Interim Director Center for Excellence for Transgender Health Cajetan Luna Executive Director Center for Health Justice Catherine Hanssens Executive Director Center for HIV Law & Policy Rev. Dr. Justin E. Tanis Managing Director Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion Patti Prunhuber Senior Policy Attorney Child Care Law Center Elaine L. Sierra Public Policy Director Citizens for Choice Saveena Takhar Associate Staff Council Consumer Attorneys of California Eddie Kurtz Executive Director Courage Campaign Laura Polstein Immigration Senior Staff Attorney Centro Legal de la Raza David J. Brinkman, MBA Chief Executive Director Desert AIDS Project

Laura Thomas Deputy California State Director Drug Policy Alliance Daniel Faessler Staff Attorney & Clinical Supervisor East Bay Community Law Center Joel Goldman Managing Director Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Keith Kamisugi Director of Communications Equal Justice Society Rebecca Isaacs Executive Director Equality Federation Rev. Dr. Yvette A. Flunder Presiding Bishop Fellowship of Affirming Ministries Kalpana Krishnamurthy Senior Policy Director Forward Together Eric Paul Leue Executive Director Free Speech Coalition Socorro Santillan Executive Director Fresno Barrios Unidos Jim Lindburg Legislative Director Friends Committee on Legislation of California Gail Rolf Education Director Friends of Project 10 Bed Hudson Executive Director Gender Health Center

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Hector Vargas, J.D. Executive Director GLMA Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality Debra Chasnoff President Groundspark Geoffrey Winder & Ginna Brelsford Co-Executive Directors Gay-Straight Alliance Network Monique Tula Executive Director Harm Reduction Coalition Wendy Armstrong, MD Chair HIV Medication Association Shannon Weber, MSW Director HIVE – UCSF Dr. Carrie E. Foote Steering Committee Chair HMM Indiana Megan McLemore, JD Senior Researcher Human Rights Watch Wendy Fu Attorney & Pro-Bono Programs Coordinator If/When/How Aaron C. Morris Executive Director Immigration Equality Action Fund Rosa Diaz Chief Executive Officer Imperial Valley LGBT Center Misty Rojo Campaign and Policy Director Justice Now

Eddie Martinez Executive Director Latino Equality Alliance Elisa Della-Piana Legal Director Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Sunnie Rose Berger Executive Director Life Group Los Angeles Marquita Thomas Executive Director Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Ayako Miyashita Director Los Angeles HIV Law & Policy Project Dave Garcia Director of Policy and Community Building Los Angeles LGBT Center Micki Archuleta President Merced LGBTQ Alliance Thomas A. Saenz President and General Council Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Amy Everitt State Director NARAL Pro Choice Murray C. Penner Executiv Director National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors Rebecca Gonzales Director of Government Relations and Political Affairs National Association of Social Workers Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks Executive Director/CEO National Black Justice Coalition

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Héctor Sánchez-Flores Executive Director National Compadres Network Claire Lipschultz State Policy Advocate National Council of Jewish Women Sonia Gutierrez Legal Fellow National Day Laborer Organizing Network Kim Lewis Managing Attorney National Health Law Program Mayra Joachin Staff Attorney National Immigration Law Center Poshi Walker LGBTQ Program Director NorCal Mental Health America Max Dispoti Executive Director/Founder North County LGBTQ Resource Center Renata Moreira Interim Executive Director Our Family Coalition Colette Schabram Executive Director Pacific Pride Foundation Niloufar Khonsari Executive Director Pangea Legal Services Libby Benedict Director Physicians for Reproductive Health Gregory Cramer Legislative Advocate Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Angela Glover Blackwell President and CEO PolicyLink

Dana Van Gorder Executive Director Project Inform Brian Poth Executive Director The Source LGBT+ Center Lauren Hansen Staff Attorney Public Interest Law Project Christopher Holleran, MFT Director of Operations/Training Director Queer Life Space Johnathon Cook HIV Program Team Rainbow Community Center Katherine Katcher Executive Director Root & Rebound Reentry Advocates David Heitstuman Executive Director Sacramento LGBT Center Dr. Delores Jacobs Executive Director San Diego LGBT Center Renato Lira Executive Director San Fernando LGBTQ Center Courtney Mulhern-Pearson Senior Director of Policy and Strategy San Francisco AIDS Foundation Rebecca Rolfe Executive Director San Francisco LGBT Center Sean Strub Executive Director Sero Project Jim Mangia President and CEO St. John’s Well Child & Family Center

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Jane Wishon Poiltical Vice President Stonewall Democratic Club Danny Cruz Director Sex Workers Outreach Project – Los Angeles Woods Ervin Policy Director TGI Justice Project Porter Gilberg Executive Director The LGBT Center Long Beach Laura W. Kanter Director of Policy, Advocacy and Youth Programs The LGBT Center Orange County Jennifer Malone Executive Director The Spahr Center Aria Sa’id Director of Programs The St. James Infirmary Bamby Salcedo President/CEO The TransLatin@ Coalition

Steve Mendelsohn Interim Executive Director The Trevor Project Eli Erlick Director Trans Student Educational Resources Kris Hayashi Executive Director Transgender Law Center Sandra Fluke California State Director Voices for Progress Jen Flory Policy Advocate Western Center on Law and Policy Coral Feigin Director of Community Organizing Western Regional Advocacy Project Surina Khan Chief Executive Officer Women’s Foundation of California Kim McGill Organizer Youth Justice Coalition

cc: The Honorable Todd Gloria Members and Committee Staff, Senate Appropriations Committee