(CNN)Starting January 1, it will no longer be a felony in California to knowingly expose a sexual partner to HIV with the intent of transmitting the virus. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Friday that lowers the offense to a misdemeanor. The California legislature passed SB 239 in September. The law previously punished people who intentionally exposed or infected others with HIV by up to eight years in prison. The new legislation will lower jail time to a maximum of six months.
The new law will also eliminate the penalty for knowingly donating HIV-infected blood. This action is a felony under current law and will be decriminalized starting in January. Supporters of the change argue the previous law was antiquated because all donated blood is tested for HIV. Bill sponsors Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Todd Gloria, both Democrats, argued California law was outdated and stigmatized people living with HIV, especially given recent advancements in medicine. Evidence has shown that a person with HIV who undergoes regular treatment has a negligible chance of spreading the infection to others through sexual contact. "The most effective way to reduce HIV infections is to destigmatize HIV," Wiener told CNN. "To make people comfortable talking about their infection, get tested, get into treatment." Gloria released a statement Friday saying the bill will put the state "at the forefront in the fight to stop the spread of HIV." Wiener said by destigmatizing HIV, the bill would encourage people to get tested, which will in turn lower HIV transmission in the state. The governor did not respond to a CNN request for comment.
The bill enjoyed support from Californians for HIV Criminalization Reform (CHCR), a coalition of several organizations, including the ACLU of California, whose mission is to replace the "stigmatizing laws that criminalize HIV status." Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California -- one of the organizations in the coalition -- told CNN his group was "elated" that the governor signed the bill and changed the state's "archaic laws." "This is an important bill that modernizes California's HIV laws," Zbur told CNN. "It will really advance public health and reduce stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV have suffered." The Los Angeles LGBT Center also supported the bill. The organization's director of government relations, Aaron Fox, told CNN the new law will see HIV-positive people "treated fairly under California law." CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story inaccurately described the language of the current law regarding the intent to transmit HIV. The story also incorrectly described the change in penalty for knowingly donating HIV-infected blood. The penalty has been eliminated under the new law.
seems like a lot of people are going to get infected at the blood banks, I guess the illuminati is part of this. I wonder when peedophilia will be decriminalized, I can't even pick an apple from a tree in a public park legally though.. \
