H617: Repeal Needle Exchange

Friday, 3/29/24:

H617 was signed by the governor earlier this week.

Monday, 3/25/24:

H617 passed the Senate on nearly a party line vote, with Sen. Abby Lee voting nay. It awaits the governor’s signature.

Wednesday, 3/6/24:

H617 passed the House on Monday 53-13-4.

Thursday, 2/29/24:

This morning Rep. Vander Woude presented H617 in his own committee, House Health & Welfare. Several people from the field of addiction counseling spoke against the repeal, saying that needle exchanges and harm reduction programs save lives. The Idaho Freedom Foundation and the Idaho Family Policy Center both spoke in favor of repeal. Rep. Blanksma, who sponsored the original needle exchange bill, debated in favor of the repeal, saying that the Dept. of Health and Welfare has gone rogue in implementing the intentions behind the law and we need to erase it and start over. The motion to send to the floor passed 8-5.

Tuesday, 2/27/24:

Last week, Rep. John Vander Woude introduced a bill to repeal the Syringe and Needle Exchange Act. That law, sponsored by Rep. Megan Blanksma in 2019, allowed public funds to go to so-called harm reduction programs that supply certain drug paraphernalia and medication to addicts in the hopes of reducing overdose deaths. The repeal bill comes in the wake of the Idaho Harm Reduction Project was raided by Boise police for items related to methamphetamine, opioids, and crack cocaine.

The bill was printed as H617 and awaits a hearing in House Health & Welfare.