Laws introduced or under discussion in 18 states

According to lobbyists for the Washington, DC-based Service Employees International Union, needle-safety laws similar to the one approved last year in California have been introduced or were slated for introduction in the following states as of Feb. 18, 1999:

• Laws have been introduced in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, and Washington.

• Plans were under way to introduce similar laws in the legislatures of Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC.