South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) recently signed a bill (SB 65) into law that requires people convicted on intentionally spreading HIV to register as sex offenders after being released from prison, the AP/Rapid City Journal reports. The law goes into effect July 1. According to the AP/Journal, the maximum prison term for intentionally spreading HIV is 15 years, and two people have been convicted of the crime in recent years. People convicted of most sex offenses in South Dakota already are required to provide their names, addresses and other information to law agencies to be added to the registry, which is a public record that can be seen on the Internet. The maximum prison term for failing to register as a sex offender or verifying the status twice annually is two years (AP/Rapid City Journal, 3/13). The House passed the bill last month, and the Senate approved it in January. Sen. Sandy Jerstad (D), who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said the legislation would provide the public with information about the possible dangers people convicted of intentionally spreading HIV pose (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/21).

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