C.R.S. Section 25-1-520
Clean syringe exchange programs

  • operation
  • approval
  • reporting requirements

(1)

A county public health agency or district public health agency may request approval from its county board of health or district board of health, referred to in this section as the “board”, for a clean syringe exchange program operated by the agency or by a nonprofit organization with which the agency contracts to operate the clean syringe exchange program. Prior to approving or disapproving any such optional program, the board shall consult with the agency and interested stakeholders concerning the establishment of the clean syringe exchange program. Interested stakeholders must include, but need not be limited to, local law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, substance use disorder treatment providers, persons with a substance use disorder in remission, nonprofit organizations, hepatitis C and HIV advocacy organizations, and members of the community. The board and interested stakeholders shall consider, at a minimum, the following issues:

(a)

The scope of the problem being addressed and the population the program would serve;

(b)

Concerns of the law enforcement community; and

(c)

The parameters of the proposed program, including methods for identifying program workers and volunteers.

(2)

Each proposed clean syringe exchange program must, at a minimum, have the ability to:

(a)

Provide an injection drug user with the information and the means to protect himself or herself, his or her partner, and his or her family from exposure to blood-borne disease through access to education, sterile injection equipment, voluntary testing for blood-borne diseases, and counseling;

(b)

Provide thorough referrals to facilitate entry into substance use disorder treatment programs, including opioid substitution therapy;

(c)

Encourage usage of medical care and mental health services as well as social welfare and health promotion;

(d)

Provide safety protocols and classes for the proper handling and disposal of injection materials;

(e)

Plan and implement the clean syringe exchange program with the clear objective of reducing the transmission of blood-borne diseases within a specific geographic area;

(f)

Develop a timeline for the proposed program and for the development of policies and procedures; and

(g)

Develop an education program regarding the legal rights under this section and section 18-18-428 (1)(b), C.R.S., that encourages participants to always disclose their possession of hypodermic needles or syringes to peace officers or emergency medical technicians or other first responders prior to a search.

(2.5)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

A nonprofit organization with experience operating a clean syringe exchange program or a health facility licensed or certified by the state may operate a clean syringe exchange program without prior board approval.

(b)

Prior to operating a clean syringe exchange program pursuant to this subsection (2.5), a nonprofit organization shall consult with interested stakeholders and discuss the issues described in subsection (1) of this section.

(c)

Each nonprofit organization and health facility that operates a clean syringe exchange program pursuant to this subsection (2.5) shall annually report to the state department specifying the nonprofit organization’s or health facility’s number of syringe access episodes in the previous year and the number of used syringes collected by the nonprofit organization or health facility.

(3)

The board may approve or disapprove the proposed clean syringe exchange program based on the results of the meetings held pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

(4)

If the board approves a clean syringe exchange program that is operated through a contract with a nonprofit organization, the contract shall be subject to annual review and shall be renewed only if the board approves the contract after consultation with the county or district public health agency and interested stakeholders as described in subsection (1) of this section.

(5)

One or more counties represented on a district board of health may at any time opt out of a clean syringe exchange program proposed or approved pursuant to this section.

(6)

Repealed.

Source: Section 25-1-520 — Clean syringe exchange programs - operation - approval - reporting requirements, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-25.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

25‑1‑101
Construction of terms
25‑1‑101.5
Authority of revisor of statutes to amend references to department - affected statutory provisions
25‑1‑102
Department created - executive director - divisions
25‑1‑103
State board of health created
25‑1‑104
State board - organization
25‑1‑105
Executive director - chief medical officer - qualifications - salary - office
25‑1‑106
Division personnel
25‑1‑107.5
Additional authority of department - rules - remedies against nursing facilities - criteria for recommending assessments for civil penalties - cooperation with department of health care policy and financing - nursing home penalty cash fund - nursing home innovations grant board - reports - transfer of contracts to the department
25‑1‑108
Powers and duties of state board of health - rules
25‑1‑109
Powers and duties of division of administration
25‑1‑110
Higher standards permissible
25‑1‑112
Legal adviser - attorney general - actions
25‑1‑113
Judicial review of decisions
25‑1‑114
Unlawful acts - penalties
25‑1‑114.1
Civil remedies and penalties
25‑1‑114.5
Voluntary disclosure arising from self-evaluation - presumption against imposition of administrative or civil penalties
25‑1‑114.6
Implementation of environmental self-audit law - pilot project - legislative declaration
25‑1‑115
Treatment - religious belief
25‑1‑116
Licensed healing systems not affected
25‑1‑117
Acquisition of federal surplus property
25‑1‑120
Nursing facilities - rights of patients
25‑1‑121
Patient grievance mechanism - institution’s obligations to patient
25‑1‑122
Named reporting of certain diseases and conditions - access to medical records - confidentiality of reports and records
25‑1‑122.5
Confidentiality of genetic testing records - “Uniform Parentage Act”
25‑1‑123
Restructure of health and human services - development of plan - participation of department required
25‑1‑124
Health-care facilities - consumer information - reporting - release
25‑1‑124.5
Nursing care facilities - employees - record check - adult protective services data system check - definition
25‑1‑124.7
Health facilities - employees - adult protective services data system check
25‑1‑125
Applications for licenses - authority to suspend licenses - rules
25‑1‑128
Designation of caregiver - notice - instructions - definitions - rules
25‑1‑130
Standing order - post-exposure prophylaxis - definition
25‑1‑131
Firearms safe storage education campaign
25‑1‑132
Two-year appropriation to the department - repeal
25‑1‑133
Environmental justice action task force - report - repeal
25‑1‑134
Environmental justice - ombudsperson - advisory board - grant program - definitions - repeal
25‑1‑135
Health-care services reserve corps task force - created - powers and duties - report - repeal
25‑1‑136
Kidney disease prevention and education task force - created - powers and duties - report - selection of chair and vice-chair - sunset review - repeal
25‑1‑137
Task force to reduce youth violence, suicide, and delinquency risk factors - creation - membership - reporting - definitions
25‑1‑401
Office of state chemist created
25‑1‑402
Employment of assistants
25‑1‑403
Analyses of food and drugs
25‑1‑404
Certificate presumptive evidence
25‑1‑501
Legislative declaration
25‑1‑502
Definitions
25‑1‑503
State board - public health duties
25‑1‑504
Comprehensive public health plan - development - approval - reassessment - cash fund
25‑1‑505
County and district public health plans - approval
25‑1‑506
County or district public health agency
25‑1‑507
Municipal board of health
25‑1‑508
County or district boards of public health - public health directors
25‑1‑509
County and district public health directors
25‑1‑510
County or district board unable or unwilling to act
25‑1‑511
County treasurer - agency funds
25‑1‑512
Allocation of moneys - public health services support fund - created
25‑1‑513
Enlargement of or withdrawal from public health agency
25‑1‑514
Legal adviser - county attorney - actions
25‑1‑515
Judicial review of decisions
25‑1‑516
Unlawful acts - penalties
25‑1‑517
Mode of treatment inconsistent with religious creed or tenet
25‑1‑518
Nuisances
25‑1‑519
Existing intergovernmental agreements
25‑1‑520
Clean syringe exchange programs - operation - approval - reporting requirements
25‑1‑801
Patient records in custody of health-care facility - definitions
25‑1‑802
Patient records in custody of individual health-care providers
25‑1‑803
Effect of this part 8 on similar rights of a patient
25‑1‑1001
Legislative declaration
25‑1‑1002
Definitions
25‑1‑1003
Grant program - requirements - use of medical assistance funds prohibited
25‑1‑1004
Study of statutes and rules and regulations pertaining to nursing home facilities and day care centers
25‑1‑1201
Legislative declaration
25‑1‑1202
Index of statutory sections regarding medical record confidentiality and health information
25‑1‑1203
Electronic storage of medical records
25‑1‑1204
Online exchange of advanced directives forms permitted
25‑1‑1301
Short title
25‑1‑1302
Legislative declaration
25‑1‑1303
Grants for research - reports to general assembly
25‑1‑1501
Legislative declaration
25‑1‑1502
Definitions
25‑1‑1503
Colorado rare disease advisory council - creation
25‑1‑1504
Council membership
25‑1‑1505
Activities carried out by the council - duties
25‑1‑1506
Department - fiscal agent
25‑1‑1507
Council facilitator - duties
25‑1‑1508
Council meetings - requirements - transparency - information
25‑1‑1509
Reporting - recommendations
25‑1‑1510
Funding - gifts, grants, or donations
25‑1‑1511
Repeal of part - sunset review
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 25-1-520’s source at colorado​.gov