Legal and Policy Protections

The legal rights of students at the University at Albany are protected under both University policies and a series of New York State and Federal laws.

Information is provided here for general background purposes only.    Laws other than those mentioned here also apply to persons infected with HIV.     Legal advice for your specific situation should be obtained from your own legal counsel.

University Policies related to HIV and AIDS

New York State Statutes related to HIV and AIDS

New York has one of the most restrictive laws in the nation dealing with the protection of information related to the HIV status of individuals, particulalry as it applies to counseling and testing programs.    With very few, narrowly defined exceptions, information regarding an individual's HIV serostatus can be shared with another care provider only with the written consent of the patient.
View the NYS law on confidentiality of HIV-related information here.

Federal Statutes related to HIV and AIDS

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides specific protections against discrimination for persons with qualifying disabling conditions, including CDC-defined AIDS. (As of this writing, HIV infection without AIDS-defining conditions is not deemed to be a qualifying condition for protection under ADA.)
View the Americans with Disabilities law here.
For more extensive information on the ADA, see also: (links will open in new window)
      Department of Justice ADA Web Site
      ADA Document Center (Privately maintained)