Lewis County, Wash., has repealed an ordinance that prevented Gather Church in Centralia, Wash., from operating a syringe services program, resolving a legal dispute over whether the restriction violated federal disability law.
The repeal follows a Dec. 31 order from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington that blocked enforcement of the ordinance, according to a Feb. 10 news release from the American Civil Liberties Union. The court found the ordinance “likely violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and state laws that permit and encourage harm reduction services.” Under the settlement agreement, the county will fully repeal the ordinance and pay $500,000 in attorney’s fees to the church. The federal court case against Lewis County will also be dismissed.
With the ordinance rescinded, Gather Church can resume its mobile syringe services program, which it launched in 2019, according to the release. The program distributes sterile syringes and test kits for fentanyl and xylazine, and provides services such as nursing assessments, mental health assessments, wound care and connections to treatment and medical services.
In April 2024, the county’s board of commissioners approved the ordinance, which prohibited mobile clinics and restricted needle exchanges to the distribution of syringes only. Before the ordinance took effect, the mobile clinic served about 400 individuals each month. The number fell to an estimated 11 people who sought through the church’s needle exchange program, NBC affiliate King 5reported Sept. 24.
In September, Gather Church filed a lawsuit against the county, challenging the ordinance’s restrictions on mobile needle exchanges and the distribution of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes or fentanyl testing kits, according to the report.
