Assembly BillChaptered/SignedBusiness and Professions
AB 309: Hypodermic needles and syringes.
What AB 309 does, verified December 7, 2025
This bill would extend the provisions allowing the sale of hypodermic needles and syringes without a prescription or permit to individuals 18 years of age or older. It would also keep the requirement for pharmacies to provide written information or verbal counseling to consumers when selling nonprescription syringes. The bill would make these provisions permanent, rather than letting them expire on January 1, 2026. This change would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill does not require reimbursement for certain costs associated with its implementation.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 685, Statutes of 2025. (2025-09-03)Alert me
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| Oct. 13, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 685, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 09, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Sep. 03, 2025 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 28. Noes 11. Page 2459.). |
| Sep. 03, 2025 | In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 13, 2025 · 1,143 words
Assembly Bill No. 309
CHAPTER 685
An act to amend Section 4145.5 of the Business and Professions Code, and to amend Section 11364 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to healing arts.
[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 309, Zbur. Hypodermic needles and syringes.
Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacists and pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes a physician or pharmacist to, without a prescription or permit, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older, and authorizes a person 18 years of age or older to, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes solely for personal use from a physician or pharmacist, as a public health measure, as specified. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, requires a pharmacy that furnishes nonprescription syringes to provide written information or verbal counseling to consumers, as specified, at the time of furnishing or sale of nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes. Existing law, when no other penalty is provided, makes a knowing violation of the Pharmacy Law a misdemeanor and, in all other instances, makes a violation punishable as an infraction.
This bill would delete the January 1, 2026, repeal date, thereby extending those provisions indefinitely, and would make other conforming changes. By indefinitely extending an existing requirement under the Pharmacy Law, the violation of which is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 4145.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:4145.5.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pharmacist or physician may, without a prescription or a permit, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for human use, and a person may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes from a pharmacist or physician for human use, if the furnisher has previously been provided a prescription or other proof of a legitimate medical need requiring a hypodermic needle or syringe to administer a medicine or treatment.(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, as a public health measure intended to prevent the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other bloodborne diseases among persons who use syringes and hypodermic needles, and to prevent subsequent infection of sexual partners, newborn children, or other persons, a physician or pharmacist may, without a prescription or a permit, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older, and a person 18 years of age or older may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes solely for personal use from a physician or pharmacist.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pharmacist, veterinarian, or person licensed pursuant to Section 4141 may, without a prescription or license, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for use on animals, and a person may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes from a pharmacist, veterinarian, or person licensed pursuant to Section 4141 for use on animals.
(d) A pharmacy that furnishes nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes shall store hypodermic needles and syringes in a manner that ensures that they are available only to authorized personnel, and are not accessible to other persons.
(e) In order to provide for the safe disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes, a pharmacy or hypodermic needle and syringe exchange program that furnishes nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes shall counsel consumers on safe disposal and provide consumers with one or more of the following disposal options:
(1) It shall establish an onsite, safe, hypodermic needle and syringe collection and disposal program that meets applicable state and federal standards for collection and disposal of medical sharps waste.
(2) It shall furnish, or make available, mail-back sharps containers authorized by the United States Postal Service that meet applicable state and federal requirements for the transport of medical sharps waste, and shall provide tracking forms to verify destruction at a certified disposal facility.
(3) It shall furnish, or make available, a sharps container that meets applicable state and federal standards for collection and disposal of medical sharps waste.
(f) A pharmacy that furnishes nonprescription syringes shall provide written information or verbal counseling to consumers at the time of furnishing or sale of nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes on how to do the following:
(1) Access drug treatment.
(2) Access testing and treatment for HIV and hepatitis C.
(3) Safely dispose of sharps waste.
SEC. 2.
Section 11364 of the Health and Safety Code, as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 701 of the Statutes of 2024, is amended to read:11364.
(a) It is unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia used for unlawfully injecting or smoking (1) a controlled substance specified in subdivision (b), (c), or (e) or paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 11054, specified in paragraph (14), (15), or (20) of subdivision (d) of Section 11054, specified in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11055, or specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 11055, or (2) a controlled substance that is a narcotic drug classified in Schedule III, IV, or V.(b) This section shall not apply to hypodermic needles or syringes that have been containerized for safe disposal in a container that meets state and federal standards for disposal of sharps waste.
(c) This section does not apply to an individual obtaining controlled substance checking services, as described in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11300) of Chapter 5.
(d) As a public health measure intended to prevent the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other bloodborne diseases among persons who use syringes and hypodermic needles, and to prevent subsequent infection of sexual partners, newborn children, or other persons, this section shall not apply to the possession solely for personal use of hypodermic needles or syringes.
SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.Text of AB 309 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions