Title 11
Criminal Offenses

Chapter 34.1
Commercial Sexual Activity

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-34.1-12

§ 11-34.1-12. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

(a) Any person convicted of a violation of any provisions of this chapter shall be required to be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). No consent for the testing shall be required.

(b) The department of health shall maintain sites for providing both anonymous and confidential HIV testing, and HIV counseling and referral. Each site, funded by the department of health, shall offer free testing, counseling and referral for indigent parties and other individuals without health insurance, offer a sliding scale for payment for all other individuals and, in the case of confidential testing, screen for ability to pay through a third-party insurer. In the case of nonfunded sites for HIV testing, organizations and/or institutions performing the test shall offer free testing, counseling and referral for indigent parties and other individuals without health insurance.

(c) All persons tested under this section shall be provided pre-test and post-test counseling by individuals trained by the department of health, as an HIV testing counselor, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department of health; provided, that the counseling shall be in accordance with acceptable medical standards.

(d) All persons who are tested under this section, who are determined to be injecting drug users, shall be referred to appropriate sources of substance abuse treatment by the HIV testing counselor and/or the attending practitioner as follows:

(1) Those persons who test positive for HIV infection shall be given priority for those outpatient substance abuse treatment programs that are sponsored or supported by the appropriate state agency responsible for these services.

(2) Those persons who are injecting drug users and test negative for HIV infection shall be referred, by the HIV testing counselor and/or attending practitioner, to the appropriate state agency responsible for these services for earliest possible evaluation and treatment.

History of Section.
P.L. 2009, ch. 185, § 3; P.L. 2009, ch. 186, § 3.