CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                   SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1759

 

 

                   Chapter 213, Laws of 2002

 

                         (partial veto)

 

                        57th Legislature

                      2002 Regular Session

 

 

HYPODERMIC SYRINGES

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  6/13/02

Passed by the House March 12, 2002

  Yeas 66   Nays 31

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

     

 

 

 

 

 

Passed by the Senate March 7, 2002

  Yeas 32   Nays 16

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1759 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

           CYNTHIA ZEHNDER

                          Chief Clerk

 

 

 

 

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

 

 

Approved March 28, 2002, with the exception of section 4, which is vetoed.Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.                 

                                FILED                

 

           March 28, 2002 - 8:46 a.m.

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1759

          _______________________________________________

 

                     AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

             Passed Legislature - 2002 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Darneille, Schual‑Berke, McDermott, Santos, Murray, Tokuda and Wood)

 

Read first time 02/27/2001.  Referred to Committee on .

Allowing for the sale of hypodermic syringes and needles to reduce the transmission of bloodborne diseases.   


    AN ACT Relating to the sale of hypodermic syringes; amending RCW 69.50.412, 69.50.4121, and 70.115.050; and adding a new section to chapter 70.115 RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 69.50.412 and 1981 c 48 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) It is unlawful for any person to use drug paraphernalia to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance.  Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor.

    (2) It is unlawful for any person to deliver, possess with intent to deliver, or manufacture with intent to deliver drug paraphernalia, knowing, or under circumstances where one reasonably should know, that it will be used to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance.  Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor.

    (3) Any person eighteen years of age or over who violates subsection (2) of this section by delivering drug paraphernalia to a person under eighteen years of age who is at least three years his junior is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

    (4) It is unlawful for any person to place in any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publication any advertisement, knowing, or under circumstances where one reasonably should know, that the purpose of the advertisement, in whole or in part, is to promote the sale of objects designed or intended for use as drug paraphernalia.  Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor.

    (5) It is lawful for any person over the age of eighteen to possess sterile hypodermic syringes and needles for the purpose of reducing bloodborne diseases.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 69.50.4121 and 1998 c 317 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Every person who sells or gives, or permits to be sold or given to any person any drug paraphernalia in any form commits a class I civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW.  For purposes of this subsection, "drug paraphernalia" means all equipment, products, and materials of any kind which are used, intended for use, or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance.  Drug paraphernalia includes, but is not limited to objects used, intended for use, or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marihuana, cocaine, hashish, or hashish oil into the human body, such as:

    (a) Metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic pipes with or without screens, permanent screens, hashish heads, or punctured metal bowls;

    (b) Water pipes;

    (c) Carburetion tubes and devices;

    (d) Smoking and carburetion masks;

    (e) Roach clips:  Meaning objects used to hold burning material, such as a marihuana cigarette, that has become too small or too short to be held in the hand;

    (f) Miniature cocaine spoons and cocaine vials;

    (g) Chamber pipes;

    (h) Carburetor pipes;

    (i) Electric pipes;

    (j) Air-driven pipes;

    (k) Chillums;

    (l) Bongs; and

    (m) Ice pipes or chillers.

    (2) It shall be no defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that the person acted, or was believed by the defendant to act, as agent or representative of another.

    (3) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section prohibits legal distribution of injection syringe equipment through public health and community based HIV prevention programs, and pharmacies.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 70.115 RCW to read as follows:

    Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to require a retailer to sell hypodermic needles or syringes to any person.

 

    *Sec. 4.  RCW 70.115.050 and 1981 c 147 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) On the sale at retail of any hypodermic syringe, hypodermic needle, or any device adapted for the use of drugs by injection, the retailer shall satisfy himself or herself that the device will be used for the legal use intended.

    (2) The sale of sterile hypodermic syringes and needles for the purpose of reducing the transmission of bloodborne diseases is a legal use under the provisions of this section.

    (3) Sales must be limited to individuals over eighteen years of age and sales must be limited to the number of used hypodermic syringes and needles returned by the individual at the time of sale.  Participating retailers shall provide materials relating to drug prevention and treatment and safe disposal techniques at the point of sale.  The Washington board of pharmacy shall adopt rules implementing the provisions of this subsection.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of persons to purchase or possess hypodermic needles or syringes for other legal purposes, including administering medications, such as insulin.

    (4) Biomedical waste shall be handled in a manner that protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the environment, and the workers who handle the waste.  Safe disposal of syringes and needles purchased under this act shall be consistent with the provisions of RCW 70.95K.030.

*Sec. 4 was vetoed.  See message at end of chapter.


    Passed the House March 12, 2002.

    Passed the Senate March 7, 2002.

Approved by the Governor March 28, 2002, with the exception of certain items that were vetoed.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 28, 2002.


 

    Note:  Governor's explanation of partial veto is as follows:

 

    "I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 4, Substitute House Bill No. 1759 entitled:

 

"AN ACT Relating to the sale of hypodermic syringes;"

 

    This bill authorizes the sale and possession of hypodermic syringes and needles to reduce the transmission of bloodborne diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C.

 

    Subsection 4(3) of the bill would have limited sales of syringes to the number of used hypodermic syringes and needles returned by the individual at the time of the sale.  This provision would have the consequence of requiring all legal users of syringes to exchange their used injection equipment in order to purchase necessary supplies.  Particularly affected by this requirement would be those individuals who are diabetic and insulin dependent.

 

    Section 4 would have effectively made pharmacies universal disposal sites for used equipment.  Pharmacy personnel would have been required to handle and count used needles, exposing them to risk of infection.  That would be an unacceptable safety risk.  Also, in many instances, pharmacies are not equipped to handle this disposal challenge or expense.

 

    For these reasons, I have vetoed section 4 of Substitute House Bill No. 1759.

 

    With the exception of section 4, Substitute House Bill No. 1759 is approved."