House committee approves needle exchange program bill

Needle exchange programs are illegal in Indiana, except for in Scott County for the next 30 days. A public health emergency declaration signed by Governor Mike Pence allows the program to help combat an HIV outbreak in that county. Pence has maintained his opposition to allowing needle exchanges elsewhere. But that hasn’t stopped a lawmaker from introducing such a bill. As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Jake Harper reports, that legislation cleared a House committee today.