AN ACT

RELATING TO HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TESTING; PROVIDING FOR AN EXEMPTION TO THE INFORMED CONSENT REQUIREMENT; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE NMSA 1978.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 24-2B-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1989, Chapter 227, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:

"24-2B-5. INFORMED CONSENT NOT REQUIRED.--Informed consent for testing is not required and the provisions of Section 24-2B-2 NMSA 1978 do not apply for:

A. a health care provider or health facility performing a test on the donor or recipient when the health care provider or health facility procures, processes, distributes or uses a human body part, including tissue and blood or blood products, donated for a purpose specified under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act or for transplant recipients or semen provided for the purpose of artificial insemination and such test is necessary to assure medical acceptability of a recipient or such gift or semen for the purposes intended;

B. the performance of a test in bona fide medical emergencies when the subject of the test is unable to grant or withhold consent and the test results are necessary for medical diagnostic purposes to provide appropriate emergency care or treatment, except that post-test counseling or referral for counseling shall nonetheless be required when the individual is able to receive that post-test counseling. Necessary treatment shall not be withheld pending test results;

C. the performance of a test for the purpose of research if the testing is performed in a manner by which the identity of the test subject is not known and may not be retrieved by the researcher;

D. the performance of a test done in a setting where the identity of the test subject is not known, such as in public health testing programs and sexually transmitted disease clinics; or

E. the performance of a prenatal test to determine if the human immunodeficiency virus or its antigen is present in a pregnant woman; provided that the woman, or her authorized representative, after having been informed of the option to decline the human immunodeficiency virus test, may choose to not have the human immunodeficiency virus test performed as a part of the routine prenatal testing if she or her authorized representative provides a written statement as follows:

"I am aware that a test to identify the human immunodeficiency virus or its antigen or antibody is a part of routine prenatal testing. However, I voluntarily and knowingly choose to not have the human immunodeficiency virus test performed.

_____________________________________________________________

(Name of patient or authorized representative, signature and date)."."