Bill Text: OH HCR30 | 2009-2010 | 128th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: As Introduced 128th General AssemblyRegular Session2009-2010H. C. R. No. 30 Representative Yates

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-09-15 - To Health [HCR30 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2009-HCR30-Introduced.html

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As Introduced

128th General Assembly Regular Session 2009-2010

H. C. R. No. 30

Representative Yates 

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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the Congress of the United States to end the

1

longstanding ban on federal funding for syringe

2

exchange programs.

3

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

WHEREAS, The Harm Reduction Coalition, a national advocacy	4
organization that promotes the health and dignity of individuals	5
and communities impacted by drug use, reports that 8,000 people	6
are newly infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and	7
another 15,000 are newly infected with hepatitis C through sharing	8
syringes and contaminated medical equipment every year; and	9

WHEREAS, One of the most important strategies in reducing the	10
transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections, according to	11
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is ensuring	12
that injection drug users who cannot or will not stop injecting	13
drugs have access to sterile syringes; and	14

WHEREAS, Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are community-based	15
initiatives that permit injection drug users to exchange used	16
syringes for clean, sterile ones, with the purpose of reducing the	17
transmission of blood-borne pathogens and promoting the safe	18
disposal of used syringes as infectious waste; and	19

WHEREAS, Government officials and agencies have acknowledged	20
the effectiveness of SEPs for some time. Former Secretary of the	21
United States Department of Health and Human Services Donna	22
Shalala reported to Congress in February 1997 that a review of	23
scientific evidence showed that SEPs can be an effective component	24
of a comprehensive strategy to prevent HIV and other blood-borne	25
diseases in communities that choose to include them. The CDC in	26
2005 acknowledged that SEPs have been shown to be an effective way	27
to link some hard-to-reach injection drug users with important	28
public health services, including substance abuse and mental	29
health treatment and treatment for tuberculosis and sexually	30
transmitted diseases; and	31

WHEREAS, SEPs are highly cost-effective: the lifetime cost of	32
medical care for each new HIV infection is $385,200, while the	33
equivalent amount of money spent on SEPs would prevent at least	34
thirty new HIV infections, according to the Harm Reduction	35
Coalition; and	36

WHEREAS, SEPs have been endorsed by several scientific and	37
medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family	38
Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American	39
Medical Association, the American Academy of Physician Assistants,	40
the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Nurses	41
Association, and the American Psychological Association; and	42

WHEREAS, Despite the success of SEPs in preventing new HIV	43
and other blood-borne infections, their cost-effectiveness, and	44
their endorsement by health care providers, Congress has banned	45
the use of federal funds for SEPs since 1988, forcing many SEPs to	46
survive on dwindling private donations and state and local funds;	47
and	48

WHEREAS, An appropriations bill for the United States	49
Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies passed	50
by the United States House of Representatives in July 2009--H.R.	51
3293 of the 111th Congress (First Session)--moved to finally lift	52
the ban since the bill did not contain provisions barring SEPs	53
from receiving federal funds; now therefore be it	54

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 128th General Assembly	55
of the State of Ohio, hereby urge all members of the Congress of	56
the United States to support an end to the longstanding ban on	57
federal funding for SEPs by enacting legislation to that effect,	58
either through H.R. 3293 or another appropriate legislative	59
effort; and be it further	60

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	61
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the	62
President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of	63
the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the	64
United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the	65
members of the Ohio Congressional delegation.	66