State Lawmakers Move Forward With HIV Criminal Justice Reform Proposal

Currently, people can go to prison for up to 10 years for not disclosing that they have HIV in situations like sharing a needle, donating blood, or having sex.

Niranajan Shrestha

Updated at 7:38 a.m. Thursday

A panel of Georgia state lawmakers unanimously approved proposed reforms to laws that punish those living with HIV for failing to disclose their diagnosis.

Currently, people can go to prison for up to 10 years for not disclosing that they have HIV in situations like sharing a needle, donating blood, or having sex. The new proposal would punish people with up to one year behind bars only if the intent to infect someone could be proven.