Section 2907.27 | Testing and treatment for venereal diseases and HIV.
(A)(1) If a person is charged with a violation of section 2907.02, 2907.03, 2907.04, 2907.24, 2907.241, or 2907.25 of the Revised Code or with a violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to any of those sections, the arresting authorities or a court, upon the request of the prosecutor in the case or upon the request of the victim, shall cause the accused to submit to one or more appropriate tests to determine if the accused has a venereal disease.
(2) If the accused is found to have a venereal disease in an infectious stage, the accused shall be required to submit to medical treatment for that disease. The cost of the medical treatment shall be charged to and paid by the accused who undergoes the treatment. If the accused is indigent, the court shall order the accused to report to a facility operated by a city health district or a general health district for treatment. If the accused is convicted of or pleads guilty to the offense with which the accused is charged and is placed under a community control sanction, a condition of community control shall be that the offender submit to and faithfully follow a course of medical treatment for the venereal disease. If the offender does not seek the required medical treatment, the court may revoke the offender's community control and order the offender to undergo medical treatment during the period of the offender's incarceration and to pay the cost of that treatment.
(B)(1)(a) If a person is charged with a violation of division (B) of section 2903.11 or of section 2907.02, 2907.03, 2907.04, 2907.05, 2907.12, 2907.24, 2907.241, or 2907.25 of the Revised Code, with a violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that division or any of those sections, or with a violation of a statute or municipal ordinance in which by force or threat of force the accused compelled the victim to engage in sexual activity, the court, upon the request of the prosecutor in the case, upon the request of the victim, or upon the request of any other person whom the court reasonably believes had contact with the accused in circumstances related to the violation that could have resulted in the transmission to that person of the human immunodeficiency virus, shall cause the accused to submit to one or more tests designated by the director of health under section 3701.241 of the Revised Code to determine if the accused is infected with HIV. The court shall cause the accused to submit to the test or tests within forty-eight hours after the indictment, information, or complaint is presented. The court shall order follow-up tests for HIV as may be medically appropriate.
(b) The court, upon the request of the prosecutor in the case, upon the request of the victim with the agreement of the prosecutor, or upon the request of any other person with the agreement of the prosecutor, may cause an accused who is charged with a violation of any division or section of the Revised Code or any municipal ordinance not described in division (B)(1)(a) of this section to submit to one or more tests so designated by the director of health if the circumstances of the violation indicate probable cause to believe that the accused, if the accused is infected with HIV, might have transmitted HIV to any of the following persons in committing the violation:
(i) In relation to a request made by the prosecuting attorney, to the victim or to any other person;
(ii) In relation to a request made by the victim, to the victim making the request;
(iii) In relation to a request made by any other person, to the person making the request.
(c) The results of a test conducted under division (B)(1)(a) of this section shall be provided as soon as practicable to the victim, or the parent or guardian of the victim, and the accused. The results of any follow-up test conducted under that division also shall be provided as soon as practicable to the victim, or the parent or guardian of the victim, and the accused. The results of a test performed under division (B)(1)(b) of this section shall be communicated in confidence to the court, the court shall inform the accused of the result, and the court shall inform the victim that the test was performed and that the victim has a right to receive the results on request. Additionally, for a test under either division (B)(1)(a) or (b) of this section, all of the following apply:
(i) If the test was performed upon the request of a person other than the prosecutor in the case and other than the victim, the court shall inform the person who made the request that the test was performed and that the person has a right to receive the results upon request.
(ii) Regardless of who made the request that was the basis of the test being performed, if the court reasonably believes that, in circumstances related to the violation, a person other than the victim had contact with the accused that could have resulted in the transmission of HIV to that person, the court may inform that person that the test was performed and that the person has a right to receive the results of the test on request.
(iii) If the accused tests positive for HIV, the test results shall be reported to the department of health in accordance with section 3701.24 of the Revised Code and to the sheriff, head of the state correctional institution, or other person in charge of any jail or prison in which the accused is incarcerated.
(iv) If the accused tests positive for HIV and the accused was charged with, and was convicted of or pleaded guilty to, a violation of section 2907.24, 2907.241, or 2907.25 of the Revised Code or a violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to any of those sections, the test results also shall be reported to the law enforcement agency that arrested the accused, and the law enforcement agency may use the test results as the basis for any future charge of a violation of division (B) of any of those sections or a violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to division (B) of any of those sections.
(v) Except as otherwise provided in the first paragraph in division (B)(1)(c) of this section or in division (B)(1)(c)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section, no disclosure of the test results or the fact that a test was performed shall be made, other than as evidence in a grand jury proceeding or as evidence in a judicial proceeding in accordance with the Rules of Evidence.
(vi) If the test result is negative, and the charge has not been dismissed or if the accused has been convicted of the charge or a different offense arising out of the same circumstances as the offense charged, the court shall order that the test be repeated not earlier than three months nor later than six months after the original test.
(2) If an accused who is free on bond refuses to submit to a test ordered by the court pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section, the court may order that the accused's bond be revoked and that the accused be incarcerated until the test is performed. If an accused who is incarcerated refuses to submit to a test ordered by the court pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section, the court shall order the person in charge of the jail or prison in which the accused is incarcerated to take any action necessary to facilitate the performance of the test, including the forcible restraint of the accused for the purpose of drawing blood to be used in the test.
(3) A state agency, a political subdivision of the state, or an employee of a state agency or of a political subdivision of the state is immune from liability in a civil action to recover damages for injury, death, or loss to person or property allegedly caused by any act or omission in connection with the performance of the duties required under division (B)(2) of this section unless the acts or omissions are with malicious purpose, in bad faith, or in a wanton or reckless manner.
(C) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a court in which a person is charged with any offense specified in division (A)(1) or (B)(1)(a) of this section from ordering at any time during which the complaint, information, or indictment is pending, that the accused submit to one or more appropriate tests to determine if the accused has a venereal disease or HIV.
(D) As used in this section:
(1) "Community control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.
(2) "HIV" means the human immunodeficiency virus.
Last updated March 10, 2023 at 11:17 AM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 19, 2014 – Senate Bill 143 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 19, 2014 Version ]
- April 6, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly [ View April 6, 2023 Version ]