People who bite or spit at West Australian police officers will undergo a mandatory blood test from Thursday.
Officers previously had to wait up to six months for their own test results if they were suspected of having contracted an infectious disease in the line of duty.
Under the new laws, a person suspected of having transferred bodily fluids such as semen, blood and saliva, to an officer will have their blood tested for infectious diseases.
Those who fail to comply with the testing face a $12,000 fine and 12 months jail.
But the new year isn't all good news for public sector workers.
From January 1, the WA government will pay new employees 40 per cent less for doing the same job as someone who has retired or quit.
Employees replacing frontline jobs including police, nurses and teachers will be paid 10 per cent less.
About 1500 employees will also be offered voluntary redundancy as part of the state's bid to cut surplus jobs.
However, the government has raised the pay packet for the top job at WA's corruption watchdog to try to fill the role's long-running vacancy.
The former judge who is appointed as CCC commissioner will receive their judicial pension on top of the equivalent salary of a Supreme Court judge, estimated to total almost $900,000.
