Final Compromise Reached on Kansas HIV/AIDS Quarantine Bill
Special to The Gayly
Greetings KEC members, allies, and supporters -
Earlier this afternoon, officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment agreed to a final compromise on Substitute for HB 2183. Following days of wrangling in a House/Senate conference committee, KDHE proposed to create a list of diseases *not* subject to quarantine, and to include HIV/AIDS in that list. This list will become a part of Kansas Administrative Rules and Regulations, which have the force of law and with which all health officials in Kansas are required to comply.
This compromise is in addition to the language that has been inserted into the bill that requires all quarantine orders to be "medically necessary and reasonable," and represents an ongoing evolution in KDHE's position on this bill. Regular readers of these posts will recall that, at first, KDHE was unwilling to accept any changes to their substitute language inserted into the bill in the House.
Over the past few weeks that we have been opposing Sub for HB 2183, calls, letters, and emails have poured into legislative and KDHE offices. Activists and advocates in Kansas, across the United States, and even from foreign countries, have made clear their concerns with HB 2183 and its impact on the civil rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Moving forward, KDHE has agreed to keep Kansas Equality Coalition informed and "in the loop" on the development of the new rules and regulations. As they are written, KEC will have input into their language and application. We intend to be active participants in their development, and invite other local, state, and national advocates to work with us in making sure KDHE's new regulations meet the needs of our community.
Thank you to everyone in KEC, in Kansas, and nationally, who had a hand in convincing KDHE and the legislature to work towards a compromise. Many organizations and individuals set aside other pressing business to help Kansas in this fight, and we would not made progress without them.
The final version of Sub HB2183 will most likely be debated and voted on by the full House and Senate, respectively, later this afternoon or early evening. I will update this post with the results as soon as they are known.
Tom
Thomas Witt, Executive Director Kansas Equality Coalition
You can view this on our website at: http://www.kansasequalitycoalition.org/viewevent.php?e=4779