A pilot needle-exchange program was approved by the Texas House of Representatives this week, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported May 22.

The measure would establish a needle-exchange program in the San Antonio area. If approved by the state Senate -- which is expected -- it would be the first time that needle exchanges have been allowed in Texas.

The program was approved as an amendment to a state Medicaid bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Dianne White Delisi (R-Temple). It originally called for a statewide program, but was trimmed down to gain enough support for passage.

Previously, Delisi, the chair of the Texas House Public Health Committee said she would not bring a needle-exchange bill to a vote, meaning the measure would have died in the current legislative session, the Austin American-Statesman reported May 17. "I'm not persuaded that the public-health benefit outweighs my concerns and my constituents' concerns about illegal intravenous drug use," she said.

Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville), the bill sponsor, replied, "Evidence is overwhelming that [needle exchange] does not increase drug use. Unfortunately, some people are scared they'll be seen as encouraging drug use. But I live in a conservative, Republican district and no one in my district has told me anything adverse about this bill."

Delisi did allow a hearing on the bill, which she had not done in the 2005 legislative session. But she did not attend the hearing, in which no one spoke out against the measure.

Among those who testified in favor of needle exchange was Peter Lurie of Public Citizen. "This is an emergency that we're dealing with," Lurie said. "Somewhere, today, in the state of Texas, at this very moment, there is a person holding an HIV-positive syringe, and at this moment, they might be about to put that in their forearm, causing HIV infection to themselves and perhaps later, to their sex partners and their children."