House Bill 0491

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 491

        By Representative Hill






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the State Health Officer;

  3         amending s. 381.0038, F.S.; providing for the

  4         State Health Officer to establish needle and

  5         syringe exchange projects for drug users;

  6         providing project criteria; requiring a report;

  7         providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (4) is added to section

12  381.0038, Florida Statutes, to read:

13         381.0038  Education.--The Department of Health shall

14  establish a program to educate the public about the threat of

15  acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

16         (4)  The State Health Officer may establish

17  harm-reduction sterile needle and syringe exchange projects

18  designed to combat HIV/AIDS transmission among injecting drug

19  users, their partners, and their children.

20         (a)  Each project must meet the following criteria:

21         1.  The project area must have a program for preventing

22  HIV transmission operating in the community, and the State

23  Health Officer must determine that an exchange project is

24  likely to be an effective component of that program.

25         2.  The project must provide referral to substance

26  abuse treatment and to other appropriate health and social

27  services.

28         3.  The project must provide education to participants

29  concerning the transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C, and

30  prevention measures.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 491

    504-157A-00






  1         4.  The project must comply with established standards

  2  for the disposal of hazardous medical waste.

  3         (b)  A report evaluating the effectiveness of the

  4  projects shall be submitted to the Speaker of the House of

  5  Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the members

  6  of the appropriate substantive committees of the House and

  7  Senate by March 1, 2001.

  8         (c)  Exchange or possession of needles and syringes in

  9  compliance with the procedures of the projects does not

10  constitute a violation of s. 893.147.

11         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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14                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

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      Provides for the State Health Officer to establish needle
16    and syringe exchange programs for drug users. Establishes
      guidelines for such projects and requires a report to the
17    Legislature.

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