Nebraska bill would make HIV exposure a felony

A bill introduced Wednesday in the Nebraska Legislature would make it a crime for an HIV-positive person to engage in sexual activities without first revealing his or her HIV status to a sex partner, the Omaha World-Herald reports. The bill would make knowingly exposing someone to the virus a felony assault. It also would make it a crime for HIV-positive people to donate blood, sperm, organs, and other tissue, except as materials for scientific research. Those found guilty of violating the law could face a jail sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $25,000. The bill was introduced by state senator Lowen Kruse, who said he had worked with the gay advocacy group Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund to ensure that the bill did not unfairly target men who have sex with men. More than half of all states have laws making it a crime to knowingly expose someone to HIV or to deliberately try to infect someone with the virus. The Nebraska bill is expected to be debated in legislative committees in the coming weeks.