What does SNAPIQS Policy Advocacy Committee do?
Being queer and transgender while being Asian and Pacific Islander in an American society that doesn’t care or doesn’t really know what to do with either makes living our lives inherently Political. So instead of others defining our place, we have made the stride to do that for ourselves.
Why is this important?
Nevada is one of the four states that have biennial legislative sessions (meet every two years). Nevada Legislature sessions are held in odd-numbered years and meet for 120 consecutive days beginning the first Monday in February.
SNAPIQS Policy Advocacy Committee
SNAPIQS Policy Advocacy Committee speaks up loud and clear when we have to, like decrying the latest attacks on the transgender and immigrant communities. We mobilize our members to come out and vote, knock door to door, whatever we can do to help advocates for our community and influence laws affecting our well-being.
2021 Legislative Impact
SNAPIQS Policy Advocacy Committee actively participated in the 81st (2021) Session of the Nevada Legislature began on February 1, 2021, and adjourned sine die on June 01, 2021. During this legislative session, SNAPIQS and our community partners educated and advocated for the following bills:
- Senate Bill 109, requires local governments to collect demographic information related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and gender expression, so we can continue to take steps to ensure our government reflects our community. Representation matters.
- Senate Bill 194 requiring instruction provided in social studies to include civics; requiring that various communities be included in the standards of content and performance for ethnic and diversity studies.
- Senate Bill 211 establishes requirements for medical providers and emergency rooms to offer HIV and STD testing.
- Senate Bill 237, ensures that our State provides equal access and opportunities to help growth LGBTQ-owned businesses.
- Senate Bill 275, modernizes Nevada’s HIV criminal laws and reestablishes the Advisory Task Force on HIV Exposure Modernization for the 2021-2022 Legislative Interim. We know that laws that criminalize people living with HIV don’t stop the spread, but they actually hurt our public health efforts.
- Senate Bill 325, allow pharmacists to use their expert knowledge to increase access to care to HIV Negative patients (Pre-exposure prophylaxis (Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)], in some cases without a prescription from a health-care practitioner.
