A Louisiana House committee deferred Rep. Patricia Moore’s bill criminalizing intentional exposure to “incurable” STDs, citing concerns it could worsen rising STD rates. The bill would make knowingly exposing others without consent a felony, with stricter penalties if victims are minors or vulnerable. Moore aims to create legal recourse for nondisclosure of STD status, but opposition from health advocates, including the Louisiana Coalition Against Criminalization, argues such laws stigmatize and hinder public health. Louisiana leads the nation in several STDs. Critics urge investment in testing, treatment, and education rather than criminalization. Moore plans to revise and reintroduce the bill next year.
A Louisiana House committee shelved a bill Wednesday that would have made it illegal for someone to “intentionally” expose another person to an “incurable” sexually transmitted disease after steep concerns that criminalization could worsen the state’s proliferating STD rates.
This was the second time Rep. Patricia Moore, D-Monroe, had introduced such a bill in five years, despite opposition from public and sexual health advocates as well as people living with STDs. Moore said at a House Administration of Criminal Justice committee meeting that she wants to create a law that offers people recourse for when someone “knowingly and intentionally” doesn’t disclose their STD status.
The bill would have created a new felony, carrying up to 10 years in prison and $5,000 in fines, for someone who knows they have an “incurable” STD and exposes someone else without their knowledge and consent. Those penalties would have increased if the person exposed to the STD is a minor, over 65 years old or has an intellectual disability. The exposure under either charge would have needed to come through sexual contact, donating bodily fluids such as blood or sharing needles.
After pushback during public testimony, Moore voluntarily deferred House Bill 76.
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In 2023, Louisiana had the highest rate of chlamydia cases in the country and ranked in the top 10 for syphilis, HIV and gonorrhea, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The legislation comes as other states have repealed or modernized their own laws criminalizing STDs, especially HIV, over the past decade to align with the current medical landscape. An attempt to update Louisiana’s own law criminalizing HIV failed last year.
Before the bill was deferred, Moore amended it to just focus on “incurable” STDs, removing a proposal to create a new misdemeanor charge for exposing someone to a curable STD. The four most common incurable sexually transmitted infections are hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papillomavirus (HPV) and HIV. While no treatments exist to eliminate these viruses, all are treatable and manageable with medication, and HPV can sometimes clear up on its own.
But the groups who opposed the bill, including several members of the Louisiana Coalition Against Criminalization and Health, said the bill would have the same problems as another state law on the books that criminalizes “intentional exposure” to HIV.
Data on how many people have been charged under the law is challenging to compile, but UCLA’s Williams Institute identified 147 allegations of HIV-related crimes between 2011 and 2022 in Louisiana, though researchers said that number could be higher.
Dietz, the coalition’s state coordinator, told the committee that said both the current law and bill contain “legal loopholes” that allow the law to be used against people living with HIV in their personal relationships, in part because it’s on the person living with the STD to prove they received the accuser’s consent.
In 2024, Dietz and other members of a state task force charged with researching the criminalization of HIV found that Louisiana’s current legal approach “can actually interfere with work to end the HIV epidemic,” according to its report.
“We’ve already made recommendations for the way the existing law allows for environments of coercion because again … proving that you disclosed your status is challenging,” Dietz said. “Even if you were to have proof in your hand, even if someone were to write it down, what if someone ripped it up? Or you lost it?”
St. Tammany Parish resident Katie Darling, who also serves as the vice chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, shared the testimony of one of her residents who said she had been living with HIV for 25 years. Darling said the resident had her first husband sign an affidavit acknowledging that he knew she had HIV and consented, even though she was taking medication that prevented transmission. When the marriage turned physically abusive, the resident testified that her former husband threatened to take her to court over her HIV status.
“Thankfully, I had the document he signed on file at my doctor’s office. But what if I hadn’t?” Darling read from the testimony. The St. Tammany resident has now had her second husband sign a similar affidavit.
Those who opposed the bill also acknowledged that there is a need for people to have justice when they are unknowingly given an STD, whether that’s under new legislation or current laws around sexual assault.
Jennifer Tokarski, who is living with HPV, testified in support of the bill. She shared the story of her former husband who had sex outside of their marriage, refused to admit it and ultimately transmitted the virus to her.
“After five years in what I believed was a faithful relationship and Catholic marriage, I became severely ill,” Tokarski testified. “My husband attended appointments, rejected STD testing, reassuring doctors we were monogamous.”
When she learned of his infidelity, she said he battered her and filed for divorce.
“Only then did I learn he had infected me with a lifelong and incurable STD,” Tokarski said. “This is not just a private betrayal, this is a public health failure.”
Moore and Tokarski said they believed such a law would help promote honest conversations about sexual health that would lower the spread and give survivors a voice.
Studies have shown that criminalizing STDs do little to lower the number of cases and increase stigma. During testimony, public health advocates said Louisiana should invest more heavily in resources for testing and treatment as well as sexual health education, which isn’t required in schools.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Moore said she planned to work with the bill’s opponents to improve the language and possibly return the legislation to the committee if there’s time before the session. Otherwise, Moore said she will bring a form of the legislation back next year.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This article maintains a generally neutral tone while covering a legislative debate in Louisiana. However, it presents the opposition to the bill with significant weight, especially by highlighting concerns from public health advocates and individuals living with STDs. These perspectives stress the potential negative consequences of criminalizing STD exposure, such as exacerbating stigma and failing to address the root issues of education and healthcare access. The article includes personal testimonies that support the opposition, which suggests a more critical stance toward the legislation. Overall, the article leans toward advocating for public health solutions over criminalization but does not explicitly push a political ideology, maintaining a factual presentation of both sides of the issue.
SUMMARY: Jefferson Parish Schools received 13 grants totaling $605,600 from the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools program to enhance school security. Each school can receive up to $50,000 to improve facilities and create secure entry vestibules, which will control access and screen visitors before entering campuses. Superintendent Dr. James Gray emphasized the grants’ importance in ensuring safe learning environments, while COO Patrick Jenkins highlighted the peace of mind these upgrades provide. Chief District Affairs Officer Dr. LaDinah Carter noted the commitment to student and staff well-being. Specific schools received varying amounts, with most allocated $50,000 for these security enhancements.
SUMMARY: A gunman opened fire through windows at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a Wednesday morning Mass, killing two children, ages 8 and 10, and injuring 17 others, including 14 children and three elderly adults. The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police described the attack as deliberate and incomprehensibly cruel, targeting innocent worshippers. Authorities are investigating a manifesto Westman posted online. The FBI is treating the incident as domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics. Community members and leaders expressed profound grief and solidarity.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Nolan Mckendry | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-27 08:01:00
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, launched in 2023, aims to strengthen homes against hurricane-force winds by providing up to $10,000 grants for roof upgrades to national standards. Since Hurricane Katrina’s devastating 2005 impact, Louisiana invested over $14 billion in levees and pump stations, reducing flood risks but still facing wind damage threats. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple emphasizes that resilient homes help keep communities intact, lower insurance costs, and speed recovery after storms. The program has awarded over 3,700 grants, with more homeowners fortifying independently. The next registration opens Sept. 2, offering 500 grants to eligible coastal residents, streamlining the application process for repeat entrants.
(The Center Square) − As New Orleans has rebuilt and rebounded, Hurricane Katrina’s impact has informed much of the policy and initiatives throughout the state.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple told The Center Square, focuses not just on flood protection but on stronger homes and communities.
“The city, the state, and the federal government spent over $14 billion to fortify levees and build additional pump stations,” Temple said. “But we’re still going to have hurricanes. Our properties are still going to be subject to hurricane-force winds. That’s why the focus now is on resilient housing stock.”
The Crescent City was braced for a Category 5 hurricane in the gulf 20 years ago this week. It arrived that Aug. 29, Category 3 at landfall, tearing through levees, homes and lives. It remains among the most deadly and costly of all time from the Atlantic basin.
Temple said the state’s investments in levees and pump stations after Katrina reduced the risk of another catastrophic flooding event. But, he warned, Louisiana remains highly vulnerable to hurricane-force winds that can tear apart homes and destabilize entire communities.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program provides grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade roofs to nationally recognized standards able to withstand stronger winds. Since launching in 2023, the program has awarded more than 3,700 grants, with thousands more homeowners fortifying their roofs without state help.
Temple said the program’s impact goes beyond lowering individual insurance costs. Strengthening homes, he said, helps keep communities intact in the wake of major storms.
“When people’s homes are damaged, the longer it takes to repair and rebuild, the less likely they are to move back,” he said. “More resilient homes mean people are more likely to return, insurance remains affordable, and entire communities recover faster. That’s a part of resilience that hasn’t been talked about enough.”
The program’s next registration round opens Sept. 2, with 500 grants available. Homeowners in Louisiana’s coastal zone, Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake are eligible to apply. Those who registered in the September 2024 or February lotteries will be automatically reentered into the new round.
Temple said his office is working to make the process smoother for applicants.
“The last time, we had over 10,000 people sign up,” he said. “We’ve tried to make sure people don’t have to resubmit every single time. Once you put your name in the hat, it should stay there until you’re selected.”
The program’s momentum is part of what Temple calls a shift toward long-term resiliency in Louisiana.
“We built the levees,” he said. “We built the pump stations. Now we’re focused on building resilient properties so insurers are willing to stay in coastal Louisiana – and so people can afford to live here.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on a state government program and the statements of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple regarding Louisiana’s efforts to bolster housing resilience against hurricanes. The tone is factual and explanatory, focusing on the details and benefits of the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program without promoting a particular political ideology. It refrains from partisan commentary or language that would suggest an ideological agenda, making it a straightforward report on policy initiatives and their practical impacts. This adherence to neutral, balanced reporting indicates a centrist stance without clear political bias.
