Proposed state funding cuts threaten AIDS Law Project clients
Governor Corbett has proposed in his budget to eliminate the General Assistance (GA) cash assistance program effective July 1, 2012. This would mean that anyone currently on GA that pays $205 per month for people who are disabled will not be able to receive cash assistance after July 1, 2012. Although many people who currently receive cash benefits through GA will remain eligible for Medical Assistance benefits, ending the cash benefit will create hardships for thousands of Pennsylvanians. A group of organizations called “PA Cares for All,” which includes the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, is working to persuade lawmakers not to eliminate GA. More information is available online at www.pacaresforall.org. There are several ways you can become involved in this effort:
*Tell Your Story: PA Cares for All is looking for stories from GA recipients about how important the program is. You can tell your story on the website at http://pacaresforall.org and click on “Tell Your Story.” These stories are being posted online and typically include only the recipient’s first name.
*Contact Your State Representatives: Tell your representatives and the public why GA is so important and how much harm ending it would do. They can be found on the Web at http://tinyurl.com/6olgjpn.
***NOTE: For a flier that you can print out, click here.
HIV-positive nursing assistant settles employment-discrimination claim
A national healthcare-staffing firm must change its ways and must pay $22,000 to an HIV-positive nursing assistant, under the terms of an employment-discrimination settlement announced by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania. The nonprofit Philadelphia-based law firm and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had sued Pittsburgh-based Capital Healthcare Solutions for rescinding an employment offer to plaintiff D.B. of central Pennsylvania after learning he has HIV. The company offered D.B. a job in September 2010, but rescinded its offer less than a month later because of his HIV status. In response to a question on a required medical-exam form asking if the applicant had any communicable diseases, D.B.’s doctor noted that he was HIV-positive but could perform the job.
Despite the federal and state legal protections for people with HIV in the workplace, occupational-licensing requirements – such as those governing certified nursing assistants – have been a source of confusion to prospective employers and others. This confusion places HIV-positive applicants, seeking jobs for which state licensing is required, at great risk of discrimination. Seeking to eliminate that confusion, the AIDS Law Project has worked with the Pennsylvania Department of State to clarify the requirements. As a result of the AIDS Law Project’s efforts, the Department of State issued a clarification in January 2011, specifically excluding HIV as an infectious, communicable or contagious disease, “because it is not transmitted through casual contact or through the usual practice of the profession or occupation for which a license is required.”
Click here for the press release.
Click here for the consent decree. 
Click here for the Pennsylvania Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs Statement.
The Milton Hershey School Case
On Nov. 30, 2011, we filed a federal discrimination lawsuit on behalf of 13-year-old Abraham Smith and his mother against the Milton Hershey School for refusing to admit him, solely because he has HIV. The 100-year-old boarding school created and funded by the world-famous chocolate manufacturer claims that Abraham, an honor student, is a direct threat to its students. This case has resonated with many people including actress/activist Mia Farrow.
Click here for her blog on the Huffington Post in support of Abraham. To show your personal support for Abraham by sending him an email, please click here.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Milton Hershey School Case.
CLICK HERE to make a tax deductible donation to the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania.
CLICK HERE for the AIDS Law Project in the News.
