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House Approves Limited Testing Access for EMS, Officers and Volunteers After Blood Exposure (HB78)
Summary
House Bill 78 passed after floor debate and an amendment extending protections to first-aid volunteers; supporters said it balances privacy against rescuers' right to know, while opponents warned of detection 'window' and limits of a short testing timeline.
The Utah House passed House Bill 78 on a floor vote that the clerk recorded as 67 yes and 2 no. The bill establishes a legal mechanism to disclose, under certain circumstances and subject to a court order, whether an individual who exposed an EMS worker, peace officer or other covered responder carried a blood-borne infectious disease.
Sponsor and purpose
Representative John L. Valentine, sponsor of HB78, told the House the measure is intended to strike a balance between individual privacy and the safety of emergency responders. "What this bill does, house bill 78, is it allows me to have knowledge of what I have…
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