With the Kansas Senate passing two bills designed to slow down fentanyl use and distribution earlier this month, the Kansas House has passed two separate bills with the same goal in mind.
The House passed House Bill 2487, which would serve as a Good Samaritan law exempting people from drug and alcohol charges if they help overdose victims and/or call for help in cases of life-threatening emergencies. The House also passed HB 2613, which would create the position of a statewide Drug Abuse Resistance Education program educator and establish a DARE fund to help teach children about the dangers of fentanyl.
Both bills now await action by the Senate. All lawmakers representing Lyon County — 60th District Representative Mark Schreiber of Emporia, 13th District Representative Duane Droge of Eureka and 76th District Representative Eric Smith of Burlington — voted in favor of both bills.
The Senate has passed Senate Bill 414, written to increase criminal penalties for unlawfully distributing fentanyl-related drugs. SB 419, designed to increase aggravated child endangerment penalties when there is bodily harm to a child and when a child is in different locations associated with fentanyl, also passed in the Senate.
17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia voted in favor of both bills, which now await action by the House.
