NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A bill that would revise a law targeting people with HIV who are convicted of sex work is heading to the Governor's desk. Tennessee is the only state that has a law like this.
The current law requires those who are convicted of sex work to have to register as a sex offender if they are HIV positive. Tennessee is the only state with this law, passed in 1991.
This law was challenged in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the U.S. Justice Department against the state of Tennessee and the TBI for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Advocates of the bill like Thistle Farms — a group that helps women who have been exploited, recover — said the old law placed harmful barriers for survivors when they tried to access housing, employment, and recovery services in the aftermath of trafficking.
More than 19,500 people are reported to be living with HIV in Tennessee according to the state Department of Health as of 2021.
Once the bill is signed by Governor Bill Lee, it will allow trafficking victims to get their prostitution offense expunged. They can also request removal from the sex offender registry if they have no other violations that would require them to be listed.
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