Sacramento – Today, Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) introduced AB 229, legislation that would allow a victim of sexual assault to petition a court to test a defendant for various sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).
“Sexual Assault is one of the most heinous crimes that can be done to a person,” Davies said.
“In addition to the emotional and physical trauma done to the victim, if the perpetrator carries any sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), that can cause serious healthcare risks as well. AB 229 is a common-sense measure to provide reassurances to the victim that they are allowed to petition a court to test their assailant to determine if they carry any STDs that would need immediate or long-term treatment,” continued Davies. “Testing allows healthcare providers the ability to promptly identify and treat any infections, reducing the risk of long-term health complications such as infertility, chronic pain, or other health issues associated with untreated STDs,” stated Davies.
Under current law, victims of crimes that involve transmission of bodily fluids are currently unable to compel testing of the defendant for sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) other than HIV. Moreover, parents or guardians of minor victims cannot make the request for such testing. AB 229 seeks to correct this hindsight and allow for the testing of all STDs plus allow parents to request the testing if the victim is a minor.
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Assemblywoman Laurie Davies represents the 74th Assembly District, which includes the communities of southern Orange County, including Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano plus the communities of northern San Diego County, including Camp Pendleton, Fallbrook, Oceanside and Vista. so
