Syringe Access Bill - Maybe you can still call!

[emeraldize]

Hello All: I came home to the following e-mail (sending it as-is, it seems NY-based but the sender wasn't identified). I'm passing it along in case any of you want to make some early a.m. calls. Em


Make 3 Calls TODAY To Pass Syringe Access Bill (Senate Bill 5620)


Bill Would Prevent New HIV and Hepatitis C Infections By Stopping Police Harassment of Program Participants


The Senate Codes Committee will vote on a syringe access bill tomorrow (Tues, 2/23) at 10:30am. Support from syringe access programs is crucial to passing it out of committee and building momentum for a Senate floor vote.

This legislation would amend the penal code to clarify that syringe possession is lawful under certain circumstances authorized by the public health law, state that possession of a used syringes with a residual amount of drugs is not a violation of the controlled substance statute, and require the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to regularly inform law enforcement of the policy.


Please make three calls:

§  Senate Codes Committee Chair Eric Schneiderman (518-455-2041)

§  Senate Health Committee Chair Tom Duane (518-455-2451)

§  Key Senator from your borough on the Codes Committee (see list below - call switchboard to be connected 518-455-2800)

 

Note that Senators Schneiderman and Duane are sponsors of the bill and need to hear there is community support to move it through.

 

Here's a list of key Senate Codes Committee members from each borough: Golden (Brooklyn), Perkins (Manhattan), Klein (Bronx), Huntley (Queens), Lanza (Staten Island). Attached is a list of how each Senator voted on the bill during last year's committee meeting.


Sample message for phone calls:

"Hi, I'm calling to leave a message for Senator _________. I'm calling from (agency name & borough) to let you know I support Senate bill number 5620. This bill is important for my agency's work to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, and to ensure used syringes are properly disposed of. It's on the Senate Codes Committee meeting agenda tomorrow and we hope that it will be reported out. Thank you."



 

 

[Ann]

FFS, I can't believe how behind the times the US is. It's high time they learned the lesson of Edinburgh. The rest of the world learned years ago.