Plain English Breakdown
The official text states no reimbursement is required for a 'specified reason' but does not list what that reason is.
Expanding STD Testing Warrants in Sex Crime Cases
This law allows courts to order testing of accused people for any sexually transmitted disease, not just HIV, and lets parents or legal representatives act on behalf of victims.
What This Bill Does
- Changes the law so a court can issue a warrant to test an accused person's blood or saliva for any sexually transmitted disease instead of only HIV.
- Allows a parent, guardian, or legal representative to request testing and receive results if the victim is a minor or cannot act alone.
- Adds two new crimes that allow victims of uncharged offenses to get these tests: sexual acts with children under 10 years old and sex with people in health or detention facilities.
- Keeps existing rules that let victims share test results only when needed for their safety or the safety of family members and partners.
Who It Names or Affects
- Victims of specified sex crimes who want to know if they were exposed to a disease.
- Parents, guardians, or legal representatives acting on behalf of minor victims or other unable-to-act victims.
- Defendants accused of the listed sex crimes whose blood or saliva may be tested.
Terms To Know
- Search warrant
- A court order that allows law enforcement to collect a sample from an accused person for testing.
- Oral mucosal transudate saliva
- Fluid collected from the mouth used as a substitute for blood in medical tests.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill states that no state reimbursement is required for local agencies to handle costs created by this law.
- Testing still requires specific circumstances and must be requested by the victim or their representative; it does not happen automatically in all cases.