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Ask Gov. Schwarzenegger to Strengthen Funding of Syringe Exchange Programs
AB 110, authored by Assemblyman John Laird and co-sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, would assist syringe exchange programs by permitting the use of state HIV prevention funds to purchase syringes. Current DHS policy allows state HIV prevention and education funds to be used for costs associated with authorized needle exchange programs, except for the purchase of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes. Meanwhile, non-governmental sources of funding for the purchase of sterile needles and syringes have been decreasing. This has led to hardship for smaller syringe exchange programs and threatened their ability to provide the very tool that is needed to protect the health of injection drug users at risk for HIV infection. Please write Governor Schwarzenegger TODAY to ask him to sign this very important bill!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I support AB 110 authored by Assemblyman John Laird. This bill would allow needle exchange programs to use state HIV prevention funds to purchase sterile needles and syringes, which the state does not currently permit. An annual report issued by the Office of AIDS within the California Department of Health Services reveals that sharing of contaminated syringes and other injection equipment is linked to 20 percent of all reported AIDS cases in the state through 2003. State data suggests that over 1,500 new syringe-sharing HIV infections occur annually. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it costs between $154,000 and $196,000 to provide lifetime care to a person infected with HIV. The U.S. government prohibits the use of federal funds to support the purchase of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes by clean needle and syringe exchange programs and to date the state has not permitted the use of its funds to for the purchase of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes. The ability of clean needle and syringe exchange programs to purchase an adequate supply of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes is essential to California?s ability to further reduce the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases to relieve the public cost for the care and treatment of HIV disease and other diseases. The use of state general funds to purchase clean needle and syringes for authorized needle exchange programs is not unprecedented. Ten states currently expend these funds for this purpose. These states include: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. AB 110 does not increase state spending. It will necessitate that counties prioritize how they expend their existing prevention funds. One of the choices they might make is to purchase syringes, which could result in significant savings for state funded health programs. In 2005 you showed bold leadership on this issue when you signed AB 547, which eliminated the statutory requirement of a local emergency declaration by a public entity in order to operate a needle exchange program. Signing AB 110 into law would constitute another bold step toward more rational public health policy in the state. I urge your support for this very important public health measure.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
Assemblyman Laird first introduced this legislation in 2005 as AB 1597. The Legislature approved AB 1597, but it was later vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. In 2006, Assemblyman Laird reintroduced this legislation as AB 2076. In an effort to address the Governor's specific concerns regarding AB 1597, the new bill included a provision that an annual report would be provided to the governing body of the jurisdiction using state funds for this purpose, with an opportunity for the public to comment on that report. AB 2076 was once again approved by the Legislature, but was held at the Governor's desk with a request to work with the author on additional amendments. Over the past year, working with Governor Schwarzenegger's staff, the bill has been amended to include language that encourages local jurisdictions to add local dollars to those provided through state sources to purchase syringes
