Sign-On Opposition to HB 76

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HB 76 proposes to make "exposure," not transmission, to any incurable STI (herpes, HSV, HPV) a felony requiring up to 10 years prison time and 15 years on the sex offender registry upon release.

While the law intends to only be utilized against perpetrators of sexual assault who intentionally transmit STIs to another person, the language of the law creates many loopholes that would enable anyone who is living with an STI to be coerced, blackmailed, or exposed to violence, simply for knowing that they were living with an STI.

For survivors of sexual assault who contract an "incurable" STI, this law would require lifelong, documented disclosure of STI status to ALL future intimate partners in order for this very law to not be weaponized against them. Survivors deserve to heal from the harm they have received, and not be shadowed by the threat of future criminalization behind the trauma they have already wrongfully experienced.

In 2023, the Louisiana legislature studied the broadly negative public health impacts that our existing HIV criminalization laws have on our communities via the HR 130 Task Force (report here)- and made recommendations to change our current HIV "exposure" law to make it less likely for people living with HIV and survivors of sexual assault to be entrapped by disclosing their STI status. Adding more ways to use this harmful statute against our communities will enable more harm against people experiencing intimate partner violence and sexual assault, not lessen it.

In addition, the enforcement of Louisiana’s HIV "exposure" law, which closely resembles HB76, disproportionately impacts Black Louisianans. HB76 would compound and inflame the oppression of Black and brown people, LGBTQ+ people, and women in Louisiana, especially people with intersecting marginalized identities.

Criminalizing STI's will not bring justice to survivors of sexual assault or infidelity.

Sign this letter to tell our Legislators that we need health-focused solutions to address sexual assault and STI transmission- NOT criminalization!

In solidarity,

The Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health,

Learn more about our opposition to HB 76 here, and via LCCH's Link tree!

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