A bill to reduce penalties for HIV-positive people who have sex without disclosing their condition has advanced in the state Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill Tuesday, sending it to a vote by the full Senate.
Democratic Sen. Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, introduced the bill, which would allow people who intentionally transmit the virus to their partner to be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. That's similar to punishments for other communicable disease like Hepatitis C.
Under current law, people with HIV can face up to a 25-year prison sentence even if they didn't intend to infect someone or if their partner isn't infected.
