Southern
Policymaker
Academy
December 14-15, 2026
Atlanta, GA
Presented by:
Sponsored by:
Join us in Atlanta on December 14-15 for this in-person academy for the South’s policymakers. Led by faculty comprised of HIV advocates and changemakers, this is a space to identify opportunities and policy action to address HIV’s impact on the region.
Southern policymakers will learn from advocacy leaders and people living with HIV about critical issues and strategies for aligning on bipartisan policy solutions to challenges facing communities.
Southern Policymaker Academy is a critical meeting of the minds, where policymakers and advocates from a range of experiences come together to change the course of HIV’s impact on the U.S. South.
The U.S. South experiences a higher burden of HIV compared to other regions across the country, especially among communities of color.
Presented by Southern AIDS Coalition and sponsored by Gilead Sciences, this is an opportunity for the experiences and voices of those impacted by HIV to align with political leaders and to come together to move the needle in bipartisan policy action for those impacted by HIV.
Register today and join us as we push to bridge the gap between policymakers and people with lived experiences to create solutions for those impacted by HIV and health disparities.
Emory Conference Center Hotel
1615 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
December 14: 12 pm – 6:30 pm ET
December 15: 8 am – 12:20 pm ET
Featured Speakers Include:
- Patrick Sullivan, PhD, DVM, Emory University
- Michael Elizabeth, Equality Federation
- June Gipson, CEO, My Brother’s Keeper
- Tim Horn, MPH, NASTAD
- Delegate Ashanti Martinez, Majority Whip, Maryland House of Delegates
- Rachel Klein, MA, The AIDS Institute
- Jesse Claudio, Latino Commission on AIDS
Day 1
December 14 2026 | 12-6:30 PM ET
Emory Conference Center and Hotel
1615 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
Day 2
December 15, 2026 | 8:0AM – 12:20 PM ET
Emory Conference Center and Hotel
1615 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
| 12:00-12:30 PM | Registration Lunch served |
|---|---|
| 12:30-12:40 PM | Welcome remarks by SAC |
| 12:40 – 1:40 PM | Opening Plenary: State of the South: Setting the State and Emerging Policy Issues |
| 1:40-1:55 PM | Break |
| 1:55 PM – 2:35 PM | Plenary: ADAP in the South: Stewarding Resources and Sustaining Access |
| 2:35-2:45 PM | Transition to breakouts |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 1: Creative Solutions for PrEP Access: What’s Working in Southern States |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 2: Modernizing HIV Laws: Bipartisan Approaches to Reform |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 3: Immigration and HIV: Policy Considerations for Southern States |
| 4:00-4:15 PM | Transition to reception |
| 4:15 – 6:30 PM | Voices of the South Reception: Legislators in Conversation |
| 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:35 AM | Welcome and Day 1 Reflections from SAC |
| 8:35 – 9:10 AM | Plenary: Medicaid Work Requirements: Preparing States and Communities for What’s to Come |
| 9:10 – 10:10 AM | Plenary: Building Coalitions and Engaging Policymakers: Strategies that Work |
| 10:10 – 10:20 AM | Transition to breakouts |
| 10:20 – 11:50 AM | Breakout Sessions: Regional Action Planning: Turning Policy Ideas into State Strategy |
| 11:50 AM–12:00 PM | Transition back to main plenary |
| 12:00 – 12:20 PM | Closing Reflections: Next Steps for the South Boxed lunch available |
Day 1
Monday, December 14, 2026
12:00–6:30 PM ET
| 12:00-12:30 PM | Registration Lunch served |
|---|---|
| 12:30-12:40 PM | Welcome remarks by SAC |
| 12:40 – 1:40 PM | Opening Plenary: State of the South: Setting the State and Emerging Policy Issues |
| 1:40-1:55 PM | Break |
| 1:55 PM – 2:35 PM | Plenary: ADAP in the South: Stewarding Resources and Sustaining Access |
| 2:35-2:45 PM | Transition to breakouts |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 1: Creative Solutions for PrEP Access: What’s Working in Southern States |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 2: Modernizing HIV Laws: Bipartisan Approaches to Reform |
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Breakout 3: Immigration and HIV: Policy Considerations for Southern States |
| 4:00-4:15 PM | Transition to reception |
| 4:15 – 6:30 PM | Voices of the South Reception: Legislators in Conversation |
Day 2
Tuesday, December 15, 2026
8:00 AM–12:20 PM ET
| 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:35 AM | Welcome and Day 1 Reflections from SAC |
| 8:35 – 9:10 AM | Plenary: Medicaid Work Requirements: Preparing States and Communities for What’s to Come |
| 9:10 – 10:10 AM | Plenary: Building Coalitions and Engaging Policymakers: Strategies that Work |
| 10:10 – 10:20 AM | Transition to breakouts |
| 10:20 – 11:50 AM | Breakout Sessions: Regional Action Planning: Turning Policy Ideas into State Strategy |
| 11:50 AM–12:00 PM | Transition back to main plenary |
| 12:00 – 12:20 PM | Closing Reflections: Next Steps for the South Boxed lunch available |
Together We Will
Empower leaders with HIV equity and social determinants of health literacy
Empower voices of people living with HIV
Encourage more participation in and collaboration on proactive HIV-related bill making
Support policies and policymaking that work toward ending the HIV epidemic and benefit and reach people living with HIV
Provide HIV impact education, awareness, and data support for leaders to guide their decision making
Academy's HIV Resources
Toward PrEP Access for All
Timeline of State Reforms and Repeals of HIV Criminal Laws
Timeline of states with the most significant changes to their HIV laws.
Deeper Look: HIV in the South
One-stop shop for a deep dive into how HIV impacts the Southern U.S.
Register Today
Join us for the Southern Policymaker Academy and share your perspective to help the South’s HIV Community.
Emory Conference Center Hotel
1615 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
December 14: 12 pm – 6:30 pm ET
December 15: 8 am – 12:00 pm ET
This event has concluded. Check back next year for details and registration for our next event.
*Required
+Please be aware that if you are a licensed US physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, meals provided in connection with this meeting may be reportable under the Federal Open Payments / Sunshine Act.
