Amended Indiana syringe services bill would require ID, one-to-one exchange

The Indiana House of Representatives is expected to hear a bill soon that would extend state approval for syringe services programs.

The measure, authored by Republican state Sen. Michael Crider, has undergone significant changes since the Senate passed it last month.

That version would have extended the state approval for programs by 10 years. The state first created the law allowing the programs more than a decade ago, in the wake of a historic HIV outbreak in Scott County. The current approval will sunset in July.

The programs, which operate in six Indiana counties including Clark, provide clean needles and take in used ones, and offer access to disease testing and addiction treatment.

On Tuesday, the House Public Health committee approved an amended version that reduced that extension to two years, added ID and geographic requirements for program participants, and called for programs to enforce a one-to-one exchange for syringes.

Republican state Rep. Brad Barrett, who chairs the committee and brought the amendment forward, said there's a balance of weighing issues such as public health and giving out drug paraphernalia.

"We felt like there was an importance not to eliminate the program from the books," he said, later adding that this amendment "essentially keeps the program alive."

But some say the requirements will render the programs less effective, adding barriers for access and putting communities at risk for disease outbreaks.

Dr. William Cooke, who helped lead the response to the HIV outbreak in Scott County, told the committee that before the program opened there, nearly three-quarters of people reported they shared syringes. After opening, that sharing percentage fell and safe needle disposal went up to 86%, and higher for people with HIV.

"This shows that when people understood the stakes and were given legal options that felt safe to them, they didn't just protect themselves, but they were willing to take responsibility for the health and the safety of their community," he said.

He said requiring identification will lead to lower participation, which could in turn lead to higher infection rates.

Nicholas Voyles, director at the Indiana Recovery Alliance echoed in his testimony the need for trust in the programs.

"When you're helping someone with something that they think no one else will help them with, it creates a bond that people can openly talk about," he said. "If you make them have IDs, that is coercion. They will feel coerced. I tell you because I've been there."

A similar amendment was filed in the Senate last month, but the body did not vote on it. Instead, the bill included an amendment from Crider allowing the local entities to impose return requirements if they choose.

Crider addressed the committee ahead of the vote this week.

"My concern is if we limit this too far, if we do have another outbreak, then we're not going to be able to respond effectively to that outbreak," he said.

Some expressed concern about unaccounted-for syringes.

Chris Daniels, with the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, said the group generally supports drug treatment programs, but he acknowledged concerns about whether syringe services programs introduce more needles into communities.

Republican state Rep. Matt Hostettler said he respects the need to protect against diseases, but voted for the amendment calling for a one-to-one exchange "so it's actually an exchange, and not a distribution program." He voted against moving the bill itself out of committee.

Information from the Indiana Department of Health in January 2025 showed an average statewide return rate of 83%. The Clark County Health Department reported a return rate of more than 100% between July 2024 and July 2025, which includes syringes turned in by the larger community.

Republican state Rep. Ed Clere sponsored the bill in the House. He also authored the original legislation in 2015 authorizing the programs.

He told LPM News after the committee hearing that he appreciates that the bill is moving forward, but is "very concerned about the ID and one-to-one requirements, including where they came from."

"They threaten to undermine well designed and well established programs that reduce the spread of infection and connect people to recovery and other resources, and as a result have saved and changed countless lives and made communities throughout Indiana safer," he said.

This week's amendment also calls for entities operating programs to maintain data on drug treatment referrals and success.

The bill could get a second reading as early as Thursday.

There are currently eight programs operating in six counties in Indiana, including three in Marion and one each in Allen, Clark, Madison, Monroe and Tippecanoe.

Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.