Needle and syringe exchange services.

Existing law authorizes a clean needle and syringe exchange project in any city, county, or city and county upon the action of a county board of supervisors and the local health officer or health commission of that county, or upon the action of the city council, the mayor, and the local health officer of a city with a health department, or upon the action of the city council and the mayor of a city without a health department. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Public Health to authorize certain entities to apply to the department to provide hypodermic needle and syringe exchange services in any location where the department determines that the conditions exist for the rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) , viral hepatitis, or any other potentially deadly or disabling infections that are spread through the sharing of used hypodermic needles and syringes. Existing law requires the department to authorize the entity after consultation with the local health officer and local law enforcement leadership, and authorizes the department to reauthorize the program in consultation with the local health officer and local law enforcement leadership. This bill would instead authorize a clean needle and syringe exchange project in any city, county, or city and county that chooses to participate. The bill would instead require the department to authorize the entities to apply to the department after the approval from the participating city, county, or city and county, and would instead authorize the department to reauthorize the program with the approval of the participating city, county, or city and county. The bill would prohibit the department from authorizing a clean needle and syringe exchange project without the approval of the city, county, or city and county. Existing law requires the department to, at least 45 days before approval of an entity's application, provide for a period of public comment and to, among other things, send a written and an email notice to the local health officer of the affected jurisdiction. Existing law requires the department to provide a biennial report to the local health officer based on the reports from service providers that are within the jurisdiction of the local health officer and that are authorized by the department to provide hypodermic needle and syringe exchange services. This bill would instead require the department to send a written and an email notice to the affected city, county, or city and county. The bill would require the department to provide the biennial report to the city, county, or city and county.