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The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, June 25, unanimously approved a new ordinance prohibiting mobile syringe distribution within 1,000 feet of a public or private K-12 school. The ordinance will become effective Aug. 24, 2026.

The ordinance, co-sponsored by Commissioners Julia Brim-Edwards and Meghan Moyer, seeks to strike a balance between maintaining important public health services and addressing community concerns regarding safety and improperly discarded syringes in public spaces. The policy is modeled after select provisions of Senate Bill 1573 (-2), which was introduced during the 2026 Oregon Legislative Session but did not pass.

The Board recognized in its ordinance that syringe service programs are evidence-based public health interventions that are critical for reducing the transmission of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis by providing access to sterile syringes, facilitating the safe disposal of used syringes and often helping people access other health and social service programs.

“Today we are setting an important community standard,” said Commissioner Brim-Edwards, ordinance co-sponsor. “As a mom, I know that this is a reasonable and important standard to set so that kids can walk to school safely. We are stating clearly that in Multnomah County mobile syringe operators are prohibited from distributing syringes within 1,000 feet of a school.”

“Families should feel confident that schools and routes to school remain safe and welcoming places for students and kids should not have to walk through needles being distributed and used needle debris to get to school. I want to thank all the parents, school districts, local businesses, and city leaders who supported and helped set this common sense standard,” Commissioner Brim-Edwards said.

“This ordinance continues the County's commitment to harm reduction while balancing the safety of children,” said Commissioner Moyer, ordinance co-sponsor. “This is a stopgap measure. We fully anticipate the state will pass a similar law, and they should. Because the State is in a better position to enforce than Multnomah County.”

“As we’ve considered this policy, we’ve heard from many community members about a need to balance the benefits of harm reduction work with the unintended impacts of improperly discarded syringes near our schools and children,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “I believe this policy strikes that balance and provides a bridge until the state legislature takes further action on this important issue.”

“This vote was successful because we were able to uplift two truths: Children should not have to walk past syringes to get to school, and harm reduction is a critical public health intervention. Every school and its surrounding area should be a safe place; that is a priority for me. Public safety has been a foundation of my work as Commissioner, and my decades of direct service before this role,” said Commissioner Shannon Singleton.

“Safe syringe disposal is a larger public health issue for the people in our County, and I will continue to work with this Board and my colleagues at the City on additional ways to make sure our community has the disposal options they need.”

Over the course of several meetings, the Board received testimony from a wide range of individuals who shared their thoughts on the ordinance.

Local school districts and Mayors of Portland, Gresham and Troutdale, as well as legislators, neighborhood groups and local businesses who supported the ordinance said location limits for mobile syringe service programs will decrease the amount of improperly discarded syringes in close proximity to schools.

Harm reduction providers and volunteers, healthcare professionals, disability rights advocates and community members, on the other hand, said the ordinance would stigmatize people and limit access to life-saving services.

Key details of the ordinance

The ordinance defines a mobile syringe service program as any service providing free sterile needles, syringes or hypodermic devices from a temporary or non-permanent location. This designation explicitly excludes any mobile services arising directly from a licensed health professional’s clinical treatment of a patient.

In anticipation of future action by the Oregon Legislature, the ordinance will sunset no later than Jan. 1, 2028, or potentially earlier by a vote of the Board of Commissioners.

The Multnomah County Health Department will spend the next 60 days ramping up the program that will enforce the code. While the ordinance officially takes effect on July 25, 2026, active enforcement will begin on Aug. 24, 2026. Within the first 30 days, the Health Department will launch a webpage, create a dedicated email inbox and phone line established to receive complaints, and hire a dedicated staff member.

Enforcement of the 1,000-foot restriction will be complaint-driven and focused primarily on education. The County will issue a formal compliance letter specifying the date, address and nature of the observed violation, alongside necessary corrective actions. If violations persist, the County retains the authority to file an action in Circuit Court to stop further prohibited activities.

Additionally, a syringe service program located in a permanent facility will be granted a limited-term waiver to temporarily operate out of a mobile site adjacent to the program’s facility in cases where the permanent facility is temporarily inaccessible.

The estimated one-time cost of enforcement was projected by the Health Department to be up to $159,800, which Commissioners Brim-Edwards and Moyer co-sponsored as an amendment and the Board funded in the adopted Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

Final passage of the ordinance June 25, 2026, followed a comprehensive legislative process, including a briefing May 7, 2026, a first reading May 21, 2026, a work session May 28, 2026, and a second reading with amendments June 11, 2026.

Source: Multnomah County Board of Commissioners

Cort Webber