Bill
HB 2140
Creates a permanent Statewide D.A.R.E. Educator in the Attorney General’s Office to provide standardized, opioid-inclusive drug education to Kansas K–12 students.
Status
- Introduced: January 28, 2025 (prefiled Jan. 13, 2025)
- Committee action: Recommended by House Committee on Education; public hearing and proponent testimony taken.
- Final procedural status (as provided): Stricken from Calendar by Rule 1507 (dated 2025-02-20).
- Effective date if enacted: upon publication in the statute book (per bill language).
Purpose / intent
- Establish a permanent, statewide Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Educator position in the Office of the Attorney General to support delivery and oversight of D.A.R.E. programming in Kansas schools and to modernize and standardize drug-education instruction (including opioids/fentanyl).
Key provisions
- Creation of a Statewide D.A.R.E. Educator in the Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General may also hire additional staff as needed within available appropriations.
- Duties of the D.A.R.E. Educator include:
1. Providing instruction on drug abuse to public elementary and secondary students using a curriculum approved by the Attorney General; the curriculum must include content on fentanyl and other opioid drugs.
2. Reporting annually to the Legislature on any curriculum modifications and providing the names and addresses of public schools served by the program.
3. Performing other services and supplying material/information necessary to support the D.A.R.E. program in Kansas.
- The bill expressly makes the D.A.R.E. educator an optional resource for schools (per committee hearing testimony).
Who would be affected
- Office of the Attorney General: required to appoint/hire the D.A.R.E. Educator and potentially additional staff; responsible for curriculum approval and oversight.
- Public elementary and secondary schools: may receive standardized D.A.R.E. instruction and materials; participation appears optional.
- Students (K–12): potential recipients of updated drug-abuse education including opioid/fentanyl information.
- Law enforcement and local D.A.R.E. coordinators: likely partners in program delivery and training.
Fiscal impact (per fiscal note)
- Office of the Attorney General estimates the need for 1.00 FTE D.A.R.E. Educator.
- FY 2026 cost: $104,468 from the State General Fund (salary/benefits $75,298; training, travel, supplies $29,170).
- FY 2027 estimate: $109,691 from the State General Fund (reflecting benefit and operating cost changes).
- Kansas State Department of Education reported no fiscal effect to the Department. Costs were not included in the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
Legislative process notes
- The bill received proponent testimony from Representative Essex (requesting representative), the Attorney General’s Office, local law enforcement (Spring Hill PD, Johnson County Sheriff), Kansas’ Statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator, and D.A.R.E. America.
- Committee supporters cited inconsistent current delivery of drug education and the opioid crisis as rationale.
- Although advanced in committee and placed on calendars, the record provided indicates the bill was later stricken from the calendar under Rule 1507 (a procedural removal). If reintroduced or revived, funding and committee actions would determine next steps.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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