INDIANAPOLIS — An amended bill which will extend syringe service programs in Indiana for another year has passed the House and is heading to the governor's desk.
House Bill 1182 (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/house/1182), authored by Rep. Ed Clere R-New Albany, passed its second run in the House on Thursday on a 78-7 vote, after a strong Senate vote earlier this week.
The bill, which first passed the House in early January, originally was aimed at updating language related to HIV and supporting county-level overdose and fatality review committees. But after a Senate bill, which would have repealed the sunset on the programs failed, Clere amended it into his House bill, along with a section which outlines protocol for if a healthcare worker gets a needle stick.
Since it had been amended, the bill had to go back to the House for a concurrence vote.
There are currently nine syringe service programs in the state, including Clark County's, which opened in early 2017. The programs were started to provide a place for intravenous drug users to exchange used needles for clean ones, provide access to healthcare such as free HIV testing and be a connection to recovery resources.
Local health officials have called the bill an overall "public health win."
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.