House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for HB2613 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Creating the statewide drug abuse resistance education (D.A.R.E.) program educator position, establishing the drug abuse resistance education fund and providing funding for such fund by annual transfer of state moneys.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 20, 2024
Chair Baumgardner opened the hearing on HB2613.
Senior Assistant Revisor Tamera Lawrence gave an overview. It was noted that the transfer of state moneys was removed from the bill by the House.(Attachment 1)
Representative Robyn Essex, District 78, Kansas House of Representatives, spoke about her husband who has taught in the Blue Valley School District for over 30 years and how he used to teach "Project Alert" which is a drug program geared toward middle school aged students. The program had been moved to various teachers and the result was intermittent and abbreviated lessons that occurred inconsistently from school to school or not at all. School counselors, school psychologists, and teachers agree what is being provided is not enough. The Fentanyl crisis has exploded in addition to other popular drugs on the rise. Combating this starts with education. D.A.R.E. is a drug education program that is a comprehensive program that is updated to include the latest threats facing students. (Attachment 2)
Special Agent Randy Combs, Kansas Statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator and Sara Hortenstine, Division Chief of Youth Services, Office of the Attorney General, stated that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program has been in Kansas for over 25 years and serves to keep our children on the path to success. D.A.R.E. is an acronym used in the decision-making model Define Assess, Respond and Evaluate. The vision for D.A.R.E. is "A world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect each other and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance use and other dangerous behaviors."
The role of the statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator is to ensure there are enough certified officers who are trained to teach and provide mentorship to more than 510,000 K-12 students who are learning and growing in our state. Data indicates children under the age of 18 have shown a significant increase in the past two years with 2 times more deaths from Fentanyl. This bill will bring forward funding to support the work of D.A.R.E. to include a statewide educator who will be charged with ensuring Fentanyl awareness campaigns. (Attachment 3)
Mike Stieben, Leavenworth County Commissioner, supports this drug use education bill. Across Kansas, our communities have been devastated by the loss of life and destruction of human potential caused by drug addition and by direct deaths attributed to fentanyl. We have seen a loss of traditional moral values in the last few decades as family structure has declined and social institutions have been tested by a loss of faith. Children and young people must have access to needed resources so they will be able to see their own self-worth and value as God's children and as needed members of our communities. (Attachment 4)
Andy Burris and his wife Rhonda told the tragic story of the loss of their 15 year old son Nicholas Cruz, due to fentanyl poisoning. As a prominent leader of his friend circle, Cruz thought he would venture where none of his friends have gone before. A drug dealer delivered a pill to Cruz in exchange for $10. He face-timed his closest friends to share the experience of getting high. He ingested the pill and stopped breathing, fell to his side until his death.
His father remembered the D.A.R.E. programs growing up and the "Just Say No" campaign and the M.A.D.D. They did influence his thought pattern as a teenage in the 80's and believes it can influence a child today in a positive way. (Attachment 5)
Lt. Craig Walion, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, said the establishment of a D.A.R.E. coordinator for drug abuse resistance education would be the first step in the right direction for the future of Kansas. Drugs are being brought into this country at unprecedented rates and they are more readily available than any other time in our history. This position and program will allow school resources officers to take part in classroom settings while providing real time drug use and trends that are currently affecting our communities. D.A.R.E. provides law enforcement an opportunity to be at the front of the battle during these early and formative educational years. The sooner this is implemented, the sooner we can begin to educate and protect the most vulnerable amongst us. This is a battle we can fight in real time and it is a battle we must win given what is at stake. (Attachment 6)
Discussion followed.
Proponent written only testimony was submitted by:
Terry Haak, Special Agent, Tobacco Enforcement, Civil Division, State of Kansas Office of the Attorney General (Attachment 7)
Ed Klumpp, Legislative Liaison, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP), Kansas Statutes Annotated (KSA), Kansas Peace Officers Association (KPOA) (Attachment 8)
Jay Hall, Deputy Director and General Counsel, Kansas Association of Counties (KAC) (Attachment 9)
Dr. Brent Yeager, Superintendent, Olathe Public Schools USD 233 (Attachment 10)
Craig, Seibel, Regional Director, Teaching Students Decision Making for Safe and Healthy Living (Attachment 11)
The Chair closed the hearing on SB2613.
