JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri bill would make it legal for organizations to provide drug users with free needles.The Safe Syringe Access bill is moving to the House of Representatives after being passed by the Committee on Urban Issues last week, the Springfield News-Leader reported.Health care institutions registered with the Department of Health and Senior Services would be allowed to distribute hypodermic needles or syringes without violating drug paraphernalia laws, according to the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Holly Rehder.Warren County Presiding Commissioner Roger Mauzy said that while he wishes people would simply not use drugs, allowing needle exchange programs could have a positive health impact.“If they’re going to use (drugs), they should at least use clean needles,” said Mauzy, who is a paramedic with Warren County Ambulance District. “This would at least slow the spread of diseases like hepatitis,” which can be transferred by sharing needles, he said.House Rep. Bryan Spencer, whose district includes Wright City and Wentzville, said he doesn’t foresee Safe Syringe Access making it through the Missouri Legislature this year.“I have mixed emotions. It is a health concern,” Spencer said. “I understand the reason we have the bill, but I can’t see it going anywhere this year.”Providing needles to drug users for free “works on multiple levels,” said David Stoecker, a recovering addict and the director of nonprofit Better Life in Recovery.“If you look at the incidents of HIV and hepatitis C, unfortunately, we have increasing numbers of people that are testing positive,” Stoecker said. “We are going to see a huge reduction in those numbers whenever we have a place people can bring in used syringes and get fresh.”He said that having a needle exchange program will increase the likelihood addicts will one day seek treatment because they’ve found a place where people care about their health and offer information regarding treatment.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Missouri Legislature