Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 21.31 · Chapter 21. INDICTMENT AND INFORMATION
TESTING FOR AIDS AND CERTAIN OTHER DISEASES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person who is indicted for or who waives indictment for an offense under Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code, shall, at the direction of the court on the court's own motion or on the request of the victim of the alleged offense, undergo a standard diagnostic test approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. If the person refuses to submit voluntarily to the test, the court shall require the person to submit to the test. On request of the victim of the alleged offense, the court shall order the defendant to undergo the test not later than 48 hours after an indictment for the offense is presented against the defendant or the defendant waives indictment. Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), the court may require a defendant previously required under this article to undergo a diagnostic test on indictment for an offense to undergo a subsequent test only after conviction of the offense. A person performing a test under this subsection shall make the test results available to the local health authority, and the local health authority shall be required to make the notification of the test results to the victim of the alleged offense and to the defendant.
(a-1) If the victim requests the testing of the defendant and a law enforcement agency is unable to locate the defendant during the 48-hour period allowed for that testing under Subsection (a), the running of the 48-hour period is tolled until the law enforcement agency locates the defendant and the defendant is present in the jurisdiction.
(b) The court shall order a person who is charged with an offense under Section 22.11, Penal Code, to undergo in the manner provided by Subsection (a) a diagnostic test designed to show or help show whether the person has HIV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, or any other disease designated as a reportable disease under Section 81.048, Health and Safety Code. The person charged with the offense shall pay the costs of testing under this subsection.
(b-1) If the results of a diagnostic test conducted under Subsection (a) or (b) are positive for HIV, the court shall order the defendant to undergo any necessary additional testing within a reasonable time after the test results are released.
(c) The state may not use the fact that a test was performed on a person under Subsection (a) or use the results of a test conducted under Subsection (a) in any criminal proceeding arising out of the alleged offense.
(d) Testing under this article shall be conducted in accordance with written infectious disease control protocols adopted by the Texas Board of Health that clearly establish procedural guidelines that provide criteria for testing and that respect the rights of the person accused and any victim of the alleged offense.
(e) This article does not permit a court to release a test result to anyone other than those authorized by law, and the provisions of Section 81.103(d), Health and Safety Code, may not be construed to allow that disclosure.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 55, Sec. 3, eff. Oct. 20, 1987.
Subsec. (c) amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, Sec. 284(7), eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 811, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 543 (H.B. 1095), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 593 (H.B. 8), Sec. 3.12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 418 (H.B. 1985), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.21.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 cdad36d8b8fd1c23df82edf252f09d17ab6ce97cd0356331be5b07533e2234a5
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Health and Safety Code
Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 21.02CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG CHILD OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL.Printed as Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 21.11INDECENCY WITH A CHILD.Printed as Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.011SEXUAL ASSAULT.Printed as Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.021AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT.Printed as Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.11HARASSMENT BY PERSONS IN CERTAIN FACILITIES; HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT.Printed as Section 22.11, Penal Code
Cited by 4 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 21.31. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Code of Criminal Procedure
Health and Safety Code
- Tex. Health & Safety Code § 81.094TESTING BY HOSPITALS OF PERSONS INDICTED FOR CERTAIN CRIMES.Printed as Article 21.31, Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Health & Safety Code § 81.102TESTS; CRIMINAL PENALTY.Printed as Article 21.31, Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Health & Safety Code § 81.103CONFIDENTIALITY; CRIMINAL PENALTY.Printed as Article 21.31, Code of Criminal Procedure
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.