Greenville GOP Sen. Robert Deuell‘s bid to allow local health departments to establish one-for-one anonymous hypo-needle-exchange program is back for a fourth shot at passage. The measure (SB 188) is intended as a harm-reduction and communicable disease control program: Simply put, giving addicts clean needles cuts down on the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis B and C. The program would also be an access point for drug treatment and disease screening and counseling.
An identical measure was single-handedly killed by former Rep. Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, in 2007. Lawmakers were able to introduce the legislation as an amendment to the omnibus Medicaid bill, creating a pilot program in Bexar Co., but that was later killed by Bexar D.A. Susan Reed, who actually said she would prosecute participants on drug paraphernalia charges. This time around, Deuell has included a provision that would exempt participants, employees, and volunteers from any such prosecution.
The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, March 3, in the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee. You can watch online here.
This article appears in February 27 • 2009.