Assembly passes mandatory disease testing law

AB483 would let firefighters, police, prison guards, emergency medical technicians or "any other person who is employed by an agency of criminal justice" petition a court to force anyone who voluntarily or involuntarily exposes emergency workers to blood, feces or urine be tested for HIV or Hepatitis B immediately.

Although the bill passed without comment in the Assembly, law enforcement officials lobbied heavily for the bill in the Judiciary Committee.

Supporters say if emergency workers are exposed to a significant amount of bodily fluids, they should know as soon as possible if that exposure could lead to serious health problems.

To force a test on someone who has exposed them, emergency workers would have to get a public health officer to convince a judge that they have indeed been exposed - which in the case of HIV could be just a prick with an old hypodermic needle.

Getting faster test results would help officers avoid the stress of not knowing whether they've been exposed and would also allow them to seek treatment immediately if test results are positive.

This is especially important in cases of HIV, supporters say. After exposure, emergency workers can seek a certain type of treatment, called prophylaxis, which significantly reduces the chance of contracting HIV.

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