Bill Text: NY S00844 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Creates crimes of reckless endangerment of public health with respect to HIV/AIDS transmission; creates crime of filing false instrument with respect to HIV/AIDS; provides for HIV/AIDS testing for alleged sex offenders and public health offenders; provides for contagious disease testing for persons in the custody of the department of corrections; provides that if an inmate tests positive notice shall be given to all employees that will have contact with such inmate.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-26 - PRINT NUMBER 844A [S00844 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S00844-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 844--A 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 5, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sens. YOUNG, BONACIC, O'MARA, RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes -- recommitted to the Committee on Codes in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the penal law, the criminal procedure law and the correction law, in relation to criminalizing the reckless transmission of HIV/AIDS and to require testing for AIDS and HIV for certain persons The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that HIV/AIDS 2 infection poses a serious threat to the public health of all New Yorkers 3 whenever HIV/AIDS infected persons act in a manner which is likely to 4 spread this horrible disease to other persons. When HIV/AIDS infected 5 persons commit such actions as having unprotected sex or sharing needles 6 without the consent of their partners, they endanger the public health 7 and frustrate the efforts of health officials to contain and, hopefully, 8 reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. 9 The legislature further finds that in order to allow the victims of 10 alleged sex crimes or crimes which endanger their health to obtain the 11 most effective health care treatment, the HIV status of their offenders 12 must be determined. 13 The legislature further finds that the increasing reports of acquired 14 immune deficiency syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis 15 and hepatitis in state correctional facilities have reached an alarming 16 level. These inmates and others who may have an undiagnosed case of any 17 of these syndromes, diseases or viruses are extremely detrimental to the 18 health, safety and welfare of the correction officers and other staff 19 who work in such facilities as well as inmates who are incarcerated 20 therein. In order to maintain proper security and working conditions, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05850-02-8S. 844--A 2 1 the legislature hereby declares that all inmates presently under 2 confinement and all inmates to be newly admitted to the department of 3 corrections and community supervision must be expeditiously tested for 4 such syndromes, diseases or viruses. The department of corrections and 5 community supervision shall take immediate action to care for afflicted 6 inmates including separation from the general inmate population in a 7 special medical facility. 8 § 2. Section 10.00 of the penal law is amended by adding two new 9 subdivisions 22 and 23 to read as follows: 10 22. "AIDS" means acquired immune deficiency syndrome, as may be 11 defined from time to time by the centers for disease control of the 12 United States public health service. 13 23. "HIV infection" means infection with the human immunodeficiency 14 virus or any other related virus identified as a probable causative 15 agent of AIDS. 16 § 3. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 70.25 of the 17 penal law, as amended by chapter 372 of the laws of 1981, is amended to 18 read as follows: 19 Except as provided in subdivisions two, two-a [and], five and six of 20 this section, when multiple sentences of imprisonment are imposed on a 21 person at the same time, or when a person who is subject to any undisc- 22 harged term of imprisonment imposed at a previous time by a court of 23 this state is sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment, the 24 sentence or sentences imposed by the court shall run either concurrently 25 or consecutively with respect to each other and the undischarged term or 26 terms in such manner as the court directs at the time of sentence. If 27 the court does not specify the manner in which a sentence imposed by it 28 is to run, the sentence shall run as follows: 29 § 4. Section 70.25 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi- 30 vision 6 to read as follows: 31 6. When a person is convicted of reckless endangerment of the public 32 health in the first degree, as defined in section 120.26 of this chap- 33 ter, or reckless endangerment of the public health in the second degree, 34 as defined in section 120.27 of this chapter, the term of imprisonment 35 which may be imposed as a sentence upon such conviction, shall run 36 consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed as the sentence 37 upon the conviction of any other offense committed through the same act 38 or omission, or through an act or omission with itself constituted one 39 of the material elements of such reckless endangerment of the public 40 health offense. 41 § 5. The penal law is amended by adding four new sections 120.26, 42 120.27, 120.28 and 170.36 to read as follows: 43 § 120.26 Reckless endangerment of the public health in the first 44 degree. 45 A person is guilty of reckless endangerment of the public health in 46 the first degree when he or she is aware that he or she has tested posi- 47 tively for HIV/AIDS and then recklessly engages in conduct which results 48 in the transmission of HIV/AIDS to another person who was unaware of 49 such condition. 50 Reckless endangerment of the public health in the first degree is a 51 class B felony. 52 § 120.27 Reckless endangerment of the public health in the second 53 degree. 54 A person is guilty of reckless endangerment of the public health in 55 the second degree when he or she is aware that he or she has tested 56 positively for HIV/AIDS and then recklessly engages in conduct whichS. 844--A 3 1 creates a substantial risk of the transmission of HIV/AIDS to another 2 person who was unaware of such condition. 3 Reckless endangerment of the public health in the second degree is a 4 class C felony. 5 § 120.28 Reckless endangerment of the public health; defense. 6 In any prosecution under section 120.26 or 120.27 of this article, it 7 shall be an absolute defense that the defendant, at the time she was 8 engaged in the conduct constituting the offense, was a woman who trans- 9 mitted the HIV/AIDS virus to her child as the result of giving birth to 10 such child. 11 § 170.36 Offering a false instrument which endangers the public health. 12 A person is guilty of offering a false instrument which endangers the 13 public health when he or she is aware that he or she has tested positive 14 for HIV/AIDS and then knowing that a written instrument contains a false 15 statement or false information regarding his or her HIV status and with 16 the intent to defraud the department of health, any subdivision or agent 17 thereof, or any other health care provider, he or she offers or presents 18 such instrument to an agent of that office or other health care provider 19 with the knowledge or belief that it will be filed with, registered or 20 recorded in or otherwise become a part of the records of such public 21 office or public servant. 22 Offering a false instrument which endangers the public health is a 23 class E felony. 24 § 6. Section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding 25 two new subdivisions 45 and 46 to read as follows: 26 45. "HIV related illness" means any illness that may result from or 27 may be associated with HIV infection. 28 46. "HIV related test" means any laboratory test or series of tests 29 for any virus, antibody, antigen or etiologic agent whatsoever thought 30 to cause or to indicate the presence of AIDS. 31 § 7. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new section 32 160.46 to read as follows: 33 § 160.46 HIV related testing of alleged sex and public health offenders. 34 1. A police officer who makes an arrest for any crime set forth in 35 article one hundred thirty or section 120.26 or 120.27 of the penal law, 36 either with or without a warrant, shall, following such arrest or the 37 arraignment upon a local criminal court accusatory instrument of a 38 defendant whose court attendance has been secured by a summons or an 39 appearance ticket, cause such defendant to be immediately given an HIV 40 related test to determine if such defendant has HIV infection, HIV 41 related illness or AIDS. 42 2. The HIV related test prescribed in subdivision one of this section 43 and the submission of available information concerning the defendant and 44 the facts and circumstances of the crime charged must be in accordance 45 with the rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner of crimi- 46 nal justice services. 47 3. The result of an HIV related test performed pursuant to subdivision 48 one of this section, shall, upon request, be made available to the 49 victim or alleged victim of such crime and to the defendant. 50 § 8. Section 71 of the correction law is amended by adding a new 51 subdivision 9 to read as follows: 52 9. (a) Persons who are committed, transferred, certified to or placed 53 in the care or custody of the department shall be immediately tested for 54 evidence of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, human immunodeficiency 55 virus, tuberculosis and hepatitis and monitored for the possibility ofS. 844--A 4 1 development of such syndromes, diseases or viruses in accordance with 2 proper medical procedures. 3 (b) For those persons who generate a positive result, the department 4 shall provide, in each facility under its control, the instruction of 5 appropriate staff, inmates and significant others regarding the nature 6 of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and AIDS Related Complex (ARC), 7 human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis and hepatitis, potential 8 problems, and steps which may be taken to minimize such problems. 9 § 9. Section 141 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 476 of 10 the laws of 1970, is amended to read as follows: 11 § 141. Contagious disease in facility. 1. In case any pestilence or 12 contagious disease shall break out among the inmates in any of the 13 correctional facilities, or in the vicinity of such facilities, the 14 commissioner [of correction] may cause the inmates confined in such 15 facility, or any of them, to be removed to some suitable place of secu- 16 rity, where such of them as may be sick shall receive all necessary care 17 and medical assistance; such inmates shall be returned as soon as may be 18 feasible to the facility from which they were taken, to be confined 19 therein according to their respective sentences. 20 2. To reduce the possibility of any pestilence or contagious disease 21 in correctional facilities, every inmate shall be regularly administered 22 a blood test designed to test for the viral agent known as HTLV-III/LAV 23 which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome and a blood test 24 designed to test for tuberculosis and hepatitis. The commissioner shall 25 take all necessary precautions which shall include monitoring, education 26 and counseling for those inmates who test positive for these illnesses. 27 § 10. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 141-a to 28 read as follows: 29 § 141-a. Notification of disease symptoms. Upon the diagnosis of a 30 facility health director or any other medical service provider author- 31 ized by the department to examine inmates, that an inmate has symptoms 32 of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, notice of the diagnosis shall be 33 provided to all employees of the department who can reasonably be 34 expected to be involved in the supervision and care of said inmate. 35 § 11. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 36 ing the date on which it shall have become law; provided however that 37 sections three, four and five of this act shall take effect on the first 38 of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a 39 law; and provided, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment 40 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 41 of the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and 42 directed to be made and completed within 180 days after the date on 43 which this act shall have become a law.
