Davids Discusses $16M Federal Grant to Combat Fentanyl, Joins KS Highway Patrol on Drug Seizure Route

OVERLAND PARK, KS - Today, Representative Sharice Davids met with the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program to discuss the impact of a new $15.9 million federal grant to help seize illicit drugs like fentanyl. She then accompanied a Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) officer on their patrol route and met with the Overland Park Crisis Action Team (OPCAT), which provides mental health-related support during emergency calls. The federal grant will help law enforcement seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking, and improve data collection — all to keep Kansans safe.

“In our state and around the country, the fentanyl crisis has become a public health emergency. That’s why I helped bring these new resources home to Kansas to help local law enforcement get these illicit drugs off our streets and keep families safe and healthy,” said Davids. “Addressing this crisis head-on will require all of us working together, and it was inspiring to see this collaboration in action today.”

“The funding will certainly impact the Midwest and its communities,” said Daniel Neill, Midwest HIDTA. “The funding will enhance the investigative efforts of state, local, and federal law enforcement in combatting drug trafficking, violence, and the fentanyl crisis.”

“The Kansas Highway Patrol has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Midwest HIDTA as we both focus on suppressing the flow of illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, into neighborhoods across Kansas and the rest of the country,” said Dax Lewis, Captain, Kansas Highway Patrol. “The Kansas Highway Patrol is grateful for the annual grant funding from Midwest HIDTA for the Kansas Interdiction Support initiative. This funding is utilized to support all aspects of KHP’s anti-smuggling initiatives.  The grant is used to keep more troopers on the road, resulting in the seizure of more deadly poison, making neighborhoods a safer place for families.  The Kansas Highway Patrol is also very appreciative of Representative Davids’ support of law enforcement and her efforts to combat a crisis that impacts so many families.”

Davids, a member of the bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, has been a vocal advocate around fentanyl and opioid death prevention. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and is increasingly found in fake prescription pills such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or hydrocodone. Davids met with Libby Davis, a Johnson County resident, whose son passed away after taking a counterfeit pill that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl. Following their meeting, Davids co-sponsored and helped pass legislation through the House that creates a public awareness campaign about synthetic opioids through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Davids has collaborated with Midwest HIDTA, a regional office working to reduce illicit drug availability, on multiple fentanyl summits with health care workers, education professionals, and law enforcement officers. She has also taken several legislative actions based on the specific needs of the Kansas Third District, including:

• Joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers to request funding for new handheld mass spectrometry trace level chemical detection devices at domestic ports.
• Urging the FDA to take up expert recommendations and make Narcan, a common naloxone nasal spray, available without a prescription — which they did earlier this year.
• Hosting a Facebook Live conversation with Blue Valley School District and Johnson County Mental Health Center about opioid use in schools.
• Voting to permanently place all fentanyl-related substances into a Schedule I class, labeling the drug with a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical value.
• Pushing for expanded federal grant opportunities, so law enforcement and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) can easily acquire life-saving Naloxone kits.
• Visiting the Port of Long Beach to see how the port uses state-of-the-art technologies to prevent harmful substances — like fentanyl — from entering the country illegally.

Federal funding for the $15.9 million grant was authorized byH.R.2882, which Davids voted to support in 2023. Community members looking to learn more about how to keep their families safe can visit the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City-focused website. Resources and prevention services for individuals, families, schools, and others are available.