N.Y. Bill Requires AIDS Test Consent, Allows Disclosure
State lawmakers reached agreement Saturday on a landmark bill that would require written consent for a person to be tested for the AIDS virus but allow doctors to warn sexual partners if the test results are positive.
The proposed legislation, described as the first of its kind in the country, also sets strict limits on disclosure of test results and other AIDS-related information. The data may be released with a waiver signed by the patient.
Violations of the guidelines would be punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $5,000.
The agreement was reached on the bill after nine months of negotiations, its sponsors in the Legislature said, adding that they expect the state Senate to vote on the measure Monday.
“The key to stemming the spread of this virus is to encourage individuals at risk to be tested (and) counseled and to modify their behavior,” said a Senate sponsor, Deputy Majority Leader John Dunne, a Republican from Garden City.
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