Assault by deadly disease may get expanded definition in state’s criminal laws

A Washington state law that criminalizes intentionally infecting other persons with HIV without their consent may be expanded to include any disease that is dangerous or deadly.

House Bill 1018, sponsored by Rep. Jim Moeller (D-49th District, Vancouver), amends existing state laws defining assault, replacing the language singling out HIV with a more general definition of communicable disease.

Moeller, who is the bill’s sole sponsor, says the original language of the law, which took effect in 1988, reflected attitudes about HIV (the virus that can cause AIDS) that are no longer relevant.

“A lot...