California · Insurance Code

INS §799.10: (a) This section applies to the disclosure of the results of HIV tests requested by a life or disability income insurer pursuant to this article and, notwithstanding Section 120980 of the Health and S

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Unauthorized disclosure of HIV test results identifying a person is a misdemeanor if it causes economic, bodily, or psychological harm. Negligent or willful/malicious disclosure without authorization also incurs civil penalties up to $10,000.

Read the full statutory text
(a) This section applies to the disclosure of the results of HIV tests requested by a life or disability income insurer pursuant to this article and, notwithstanding Section 120980 of the Health and Safety Code, Section 120980 of the Health and Safety Code does not apply to the disclosure of the results of HIV tests conducted pursuant to this article. (b) A person who negligently discloses results of an HIV test to a third party, in a manner that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of the person to whom the test results apply, except pursuant to a written authorization, as described in subdivision (g), or except as provided in this article or in Section 1603.1, 1603.3, or 121022 of the Health and Safety Code, or in any other law that expressly provides an exemption to this section, shall be assessed a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) plus court costs, as determined by the court, which penalty and costs shall be paid to the subject of the test. (c) A person who willfully or maliciously discloses the results of an HIV test to a third party, in a manner that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of the person to whom the test results apply, except pursuant to a written authorization, as described in subdivision (g), or except as provided in this article or in Section 1603.1, 1603.3, or 121022 of the Health and Safety Code, or in any other law that expressly provides an exemption to this section, shall be assessed a civil penalty in an amount not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) and not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) plus court costs, as determined by the court, which penalty and costs shall be paid to the subject of the test. (d) A person who willfully, maliciously, or negligently discloses the results of an HIV test to a third party, in a manner that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of the person to whom the test results apply, except pursuant to a written authorization, as described in subdivision (g), or except as provided in this article or in Section 1603.1, 1603.3, or 121022 of the Health and Safety Code, or in any other law that expressly provides an exemption to this section, that results in economic, bodily, or psychological harm to the subject of the test, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed 364 calendar days, or by a fine not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment. (e) A person who commits any act described in subdivision (b) or (c) shall be liable to the subject for all actual damages, including damages for economic, bodily, or psychological harm that is proximately caused by the act. (f) Each disclosure made in violation of this section is a separate and actionable offense. (g) “Written authorization,” as used in this section, applies only to the disclosure of test results by a person responsible for the care and treatment of the person subject to the test. Written authorization is required for each separate disclosure of the test results, and shall include to whom the disclosure would be made.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.