S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2523
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to criminal possession  of  a
   controlled substance in the seventh degree; to amend the general busi-
   ness  law,  in  relation  to  drug-related paraphernalia; to amend the
   public health law, in relation to the sale and possession of hypoderm-
   ic syringes and needles; and to repeal section 220.45 of the penal law
   relating to criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The opening paragraph of section 220.03 of the penal law,
 as amended by section 4 of part I of chapter 57 of the laws of 2015,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   A person is guilty of criminal possession of a controlled substance in
 the  seventh  degree when he or she knowingly and unlawfully possesses a
 controlled  substance;  provided,  however,  that  it  shall  not  be  a
 violation of this section when a person possesses a residual amount of a
 controlled  substance  and that residual amount is in or on a hypodermic
 syringe or hypodermic needle [obtained and possessed pursuant to section
 thirty-three hundred eighty-one of the public health law, which includes
 the state's syringe exchange and  pharmacy  and  medical  provider-based
 expanded  syringe  access programs]; nor shall it be a violation of this
 section when a person's unlawful possession of a controlled substance is
 discovered as a result of seeking immediate health care  as  defined  in
 paragraph  (b) of subdivision three of section 220.78 of [the penal law]
 THIS ARTICLE, for either another person or him or herself  because  such
 person  is experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose or other life threat-
 ening medical emergency as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision three
 of section 220.78 of [the penal law] THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. Section 220.45 of the penal law is REPEALED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00186-01-1
              

 S. 2523                             2
 
   § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 850 of  the  general  business  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  812  of  the  laws  of 1980, is amended to read as
 follows:
   2.  (A) "Drug-related paraphernalia" consists of the following objects
 used for the following purposes:
   [(a)] (I) Kits, used or designed for the purpose of  planting,  propa-
 gating, cultivating, growing or harvesting of any species of plant which
 is  a  controlled  substance or from which a controlled substance can be
 derived;
   [(b)] (II) Kits, used or designed for the  purpose  of  manufacturing,
 compounding, converting, producing, or preparing controlled substances;
   [(c)] (III) Isomerization devices, used or designed for the purpose of
 increasing  the  potency  of  any species of plant which is a controlled
 substance;
   [(d)] (IV) Scales and balances, used or designed for  the  purpose  of
 weighing or measuring controlled substances;
   [(e)]  (V)  Diluents  and  adulterants,  including  but not limited to
 quinine hydrochloride, mannitol, mannite, dextrose and lactose, used  or
 designed for the purpose of cutting controlled substances;
   [(f)] (VI) Separation gins, used or designed for the purpose of remov-
 ing twigs and seeds in order to clean or refine marihuana;
   [(g)  Hypodermic syringes, needles and other objects, used or designed
 for the purpose of parenterally injecting controlled substances into the
 human body;
   (h)] AND
   (VII) Objects, used or designed for the purpose of  ingesting,  inhal-
 ing,  or  otherwise  introducing marihuana, cocaine, hashish, or hashish
 oil into the human body.
   (B) "DRUG-RELATED PARAPHERNALIA" SHALL NOT INCLUDE HYPODERMIC NEEDLES,
 HYPODERMIC SYRINGES AND OTHER OBJECTS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF  PARENTER-
 ALLY INJECTING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES INTO THE HUMAN BODY.
   §  4. Section 3381 of the public health law, as amended by section 9-a
 of part B of chapter 58 of the laws of 2007, subdivisions 1, 2 and 3  as
 amended  by chapter 178 of the laws of 2010, paragraphs (e), (f) and (g)
 of subdivision 5 as amended by section 2 of part D of chapter 71 of  the
 laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   §  3381.  Sale  and  possession  of hypodermic syringes and hypodermic
 needles. 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell  or  furnish  to
 another  person  or  persons,  a hypodermic syringe or hypodermic needle
 except:
   (a) pursuant to a  prescription  of  a  practitioner,  which  for  the
 purposes  of  this section shall include a patient specific prescription
 form as provided for in the education law; or
   (b) to persons who have been authorized by the commissioner to  obtain
 and possess such instruments; or
   (c)  by  a pharmacy licensed under article one hundred thirty-seven of
 the education law, health care facility licensed under  article  twenty-
 eight  of  this  chapter  or a health care practitioner who is otherwise
 authorized to prescribe the use of hypodermic needles or syringes within
 his or her scope of practice;  provided,  however,  that  such  sale  or
 furnishing:  (i)  shall  only  be  to  a person eighteen years of age or
 older; AND (ii) [shall be limited to a quantity of ten or less hypoderm-
 ic needles or syringes; and (iii)] shall be in accordance with  subdivi-
 sion [five] FOUR of this section[.] ; OR
    (D) UNDER SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION.

 S. 2523                             3
 
   2.  [It  shall be unlawful for any person to obtain or possess a hypo-
 dermic syringe or hypodermic needle  unless  such  possession  has  been
 authorized  by  the commissioner or is pursuant to a prescription, or is
 pursuant to subdivision five of this section.
   3.] Any person selling or furnishing a hypodermic syringe or hypoderm-
 ic needle pursuant to a prescription shall record upon the prescription,
 his  or  her signature or electronic signature, and the date of the sale
 or furnishing of the  hypodermic  syringe  or  hypodermic  needle.  Such
 prescription shall be retained on file for a period of five years and be
 readily  accessible  for  inspection  by  any public officer or employee
 engaged in the enforcement of this section.  Such  prescription  may  be
 refilled  not  more  than the number of times specifically authorized by
 the prescriber upon the prescription, provided however no such  authori-
 zation  shall  be effective for a period greater than two years from the
 date the prescription is signed.
   [4] 3.  The commissioner shall, subject to subdivision [five] FOUR  of
 this  section,  designate  persons, or by regulation, classes of persons
 who may  obtain  hypodermic  syringes  and  hypodermic  needles  without
 prescription  and  the  manner in which such transactions may take place
 and the records thereof which shall be maintained.
   [5] 4.  (a) A person eighteen years of age or  older  may  obtain  and
 possess  a hypodermic syringe or hypodermic needle pursuant to paragraph
 (c) of subdivision one of this section.
   (b) Subject to regulations of the commissioner,  a  pharmacy  licensed
 under  article  one  hundred thirty-seven of the education law, a health
 care facility licensed under article twenty-eight of this chapter  or  a
 health  care  practitioner  who is otherwise authorized to prescribe the
 use of hypodermic needles or syringes within his or her scope  of  prac-
 tice,  may  obtain  and  possess  hypodermic needles or syringes for the
 purpose of selling or furnishing  them  pursuant  to  paragraph  (c)  of
 subdivision  one  of  this  section  or  for the purpose of disposing of
 them[, provided that such pharmacy, health care facility or health  care
 practitioner has registered with the department].
   (c) Sale or furnishing of hypodermic syringes or hypodermic needles to
 direct consumers pursuant to this subdivision by a pharmacy, health care
 facility,  or  health care practitioner shall be accompanied by a safety
 insert. Such safety insert shall be developed or approved by the commis-
 sioner and shall include, but not be limited to, (i) information on  the
 proper  use of hypodermic syringes and hypodermic needles; (ii) the risk
 of blood borne diseases that may  result  from  the  use  of  hypodermic
 syringes and hypodermic needles; (iii) methods for preventing the trans-
 mission  or  contraction of blood borne diseases; (iv) proper hypodermic
 syringe and hypodermic needle disposal practices; (v) information on the
 dangers of injection drug use, and how to access drug treatment; (vi)  a
 toll-free  phone  number  for  information on the human immunodeficiency
 virus; and (vii) information on the safe disposal of hypodermic syringes
 and hypodermic needles including the relevant provisions of the environ-
 mental conservation law relating to the unlawful  release  of  regulated
 medical waste. The safety insert shall be attached to or included in the
 hypodermic syringe and hypodermic needle packaging, or shall be given to
 the purchaser at the point of sale or furnishing in brochure form.
   (d)  In  addition  to the requirements of paragraph (c) of subdivision
 one of this section, a pharmacy licensed under article one hundred thir-
 ty-seven of the education law may sell or furnish hypodermic needles  or
 syringes  only  if  such pharmacy[: (i) does not advertise to the public
 the availability for retail sale or furnishing of hypodermic needles  or

 S. 2523                             4

 syringes  without  a  prescription; and (ii) at any location where hypo-
 dermic needles or syringes are kept  for  retail  sale  or  furnishing,]
 stores  such  needles and syringes in a manner that makes them available
 only to authorized personnel and not openly available to customers.
   (e)  A  pharmacy  registered under article one hundred thirty-seven of
 the education law may offer counseling and referral services to  custom-
 ers  purchasing  hypodermic  syringes  for  the  purpose  of: preventing
 injection drug abuse; the provision of drug  treatment;  preventing  and
 treating  hepatitis  C;  preventing drug overdose; testing for the human
 immunodeficiency virus; and providing pre-exposure prophylaxis and  non-
 occupational  post-exposure  prophylaxis. The content of such counseling
 and referral shall be at the professional discretion of the pharmacist.
   (f) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations  necessary
 to implement the provisions of this subdivision which shall include: (I)
 STANDARDS FOR ADVERTISING TO THE PUBLIC THE AVAILABILITY FOR RETAIL SALE
 OR  FURNISHING OF HYPODERMIC SYRINGES OR NEEDLES; AND (II) a requirement
 that such pharmacies, health care facilities and health care practition-
 ers cooperate in a safe disposal of used hypodermic needles or syringes.
   (g) The commissioner may, upon the finding  of  a  violation  of  this
 section, suspend for a determinate period of time the sale or furnishing
 of syringes by a specific entity.
   [6]  5.    The  provisions  of this section shall not apply to farmers
 engaged in livestock production or to those  persons  supplying  farmers
 engaged in livestock production, provided that:
   (a)  Hypodermic  syringes  and  needles  shall  be stored in a secure,
 locked storage container.
   (b) At any time the department may request a document outlining:
   (i) the number of hypodermic needles and syringes purchased  over  the
 past calendar year;
   (ii)  a  record  of all hypodermic needles used over the past calendar
 year; and
   (iii) a record of all hypodermic needles and syringes  destroyed  over
 the past calendar year.
   (c)  Hypodermic  needles  and  syringes shall be destroyed in a manner
 consistent with the provisions set forth in section thirty-three hundred
 eighty-one-a of this article.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.