File #: Int 1169-2025    Version: * Name: Safe collection and disposal of needles and syringes.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction
On agenda: 1/23/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the safe collection and disposal of needles and syringes
Sponsors: Oswald Feliz, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Farah N. Louis
Council Member Sponsors: 3
Summary: This bill would require that syringe exchange program staff provide guidance to each program participant regarding safe disposal practices for needles, syringes, and sharps. Such guidance would include information about safe needle, syringe and sharp disposal sites located in the surrounding community. The bill would also require that syringe exchange program staff maintain safe needle, syringe, and sharp disposal receptacles in each program location in areas that are publicly accessible at all times, and that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and syringe exchange programs contracted with DOHMH create and implement a plan that ensures that needles, syringes, and sharps provided by each program are collected and safely disposed of following their use. The bill requires DOHMH to publish on its website information regarding the number of needles, syringes, and sharps provided by each syringe exchange program to program participants, and the number of discarded or used needles, syringes, and sharps collected by such programs. Such information would be published on a monthly basis.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1169, 2. Int. No. 1169, 3. January 23, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Int. No. 1169

 

By Council Members Feliz, Salamanca and Louis

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the safe collection and disposal of needles and syringes

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. The heading of section 17-180.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 124 for the year 2022, is amended to read as follows:

§ 17-180.1 Overdose prevention and reversal training; needle, syringe, and sharps buyback; syringe exchange programs.

§ 2. Subdivision a of section 17.180.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 124 for the year 2022, is amended by adding a new definition of “syringe exchange program” in alphabetical order to read as follows:

Syringe exchange program. The term “syringe exchange program” means a program authorized by the state department of health pursuant to section 3381 of the public health law to conduct hypodermic syringe and needle exchange services.

§ 3. Section 17.180.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 124 for the year 2022, is amended by adding a new subdivision i to read as follows:

i. 1. Safe disposal and collection of needles, syringes, and sharps. The department shall require that the staff at all syringe exchange programs:

(a). Provide guidance to each such program participant regarding safe disposal practices for needles, syringes, and sharps, including information about safe disposal sites located in the surrounding community; and

(b) Maintain safe needle, syringe, and sharp disposal receptacles in each such program location in areas that are publicly accessible at all times.

2. Plan. (a) No later than the effective date of the local law that added this subdivision, the department shall create and implement a plan that ensures that all needles, syringes, and sharps provided by syringe exchange programs are collected and safely disposed of following their use; and

(b) No later than the effective date of the local law that added this subdivision, each syringe exchange program contracted with the department shall create and implement a plan that ensures that all needles, syringes, and sharps provided by such program are collected and safely disposed of following their use. Each plan created by a syringe exchange program pursuant to this subparagraph shall require, at minimum, that:

(1) program staff are adequately trained on the collection of used needles, syringes, and sharps;

(2) program staff collect needles, syringes, and sharps that are distributed by such program but are not returned by program participants; and

(3) program staff collect a number of used needles, syringes, and sharps that is similar to the number of unused needles, syringes, and sharps distributed by such program.

3. Report. The department shall provide monthly reports for each syringe exchange program regarding the number of needles, syringes, and sharps distributed by each such program to program participants, and the number of discarded or used needles, syringes, and sharps collected by each such program for the previous month. The department shall compile and publish such reports on the department’s website on a monthly basis.

§ 4. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law. 

CP

LS #17940

1/16/2025 10:51 PM