State and Local Issues

AIDS Survival Project – individually and in coalition with several other groups – stays very active during the Georgia General Assembly session each year, monitoring legislative actions and bills, lobbying for appropriate funding and public policy, and serving as a watchdog for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. We also organize a Legislative AIDS Awareness Day, bringing many groups together to provide education and awareness of AIDS issues to legislators and others at the state capitol. And our advocacy efforts have been helped tremendously by those who participate in our Lobby Training Day.

Among many other successes at the state and local level, our advocacy efforts have helped preserve funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides life-saving medications for individuals who have no other financial or insurance resources to receive them. At present, funding for ADAP remains at a level to preserve this vital program – good news for all Georgians. As an important partner in the Georgia ADAP Task Force, we will continue to monitor any changes in the state budget that affect this crucial program. Should the need for action arise, however, we will only be able to save ADAP with the strength of the collective voice of all concerned citizens of the state.

We also advocate for people with AIDS on the local level, monitoring and lobbying in metro Atlanta county commissions. Once again, we will depend on individuals and other organizations who stay informed and ready to act when the need arises.

Please join our Advocacy Alert Network to be sure you are updated on all developments in state and local government and to receive alerts about actions you can take and ways you can help.

There are several very useful resources you can use to keep informed about the issues and our government's response to them:

HealthTRAK Georgia: a centralized source of web-based and printed materials analyzing health policy in the state, providing up-to-date information to legislators, advocates and healthcare consumers. HealthTRAK's website is an excellent resource for getting current information on legislation, regulations and policy. Click the link or call 404-588-0406.

National Association of Social Workers Georgia Chapter: a valuable resrouce for legislative tracking, updates and agenda. Through their site you can easily access information on bills up before the General Assembly and where they are in the legislative process. Click the link or email them.

Georgia Rural Urban Summit: established in 1994 to promote collaboration and cooperation among diverse constituencies and groups to bridge the gap between rural and urban communities and create a stronger statewide movement for progressive change. Click the link or call 404-522-4787.