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Committee approves bill making LEAD program an optional alternative to DARE
Summary
House Bill 382, with Amendment 3393, was advanced to make the LEAD youth prevention curriculum an optional alternative to DARE; the committee approved the bill 17-1.
The Education Full Committee voted to advance House Bill 382, which, as amended by Amendment 3393, makes the LEAD (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence) program optional for local education agencies as an alternative to the DARE curriculum. The committee recorded 17 ayes and 1 nay.
Representative Butler, sponsor of the bill, said the amendment “makes it optional, for an LEA to choose to use the LEAD program and doesn't make it mandatory.” Butler described LEAD as an evidence-based prevention curriculum with roughly 450 instructors currently operating in 45 counties and said the program is updated by full-time prevention specialists and regional directors who are former certified law-enforcement officers.
Members asked whether LEAD replaces DARE and whether the programs compete for the same funding. Butler said the measure does not replace DARE and leaves the choice to the LEA; it does not allocate specific new dollars for either program in the amendment’s language. Representative Mackenzie and others praised the amendment for making the program permissive and allowing local choice.
After discussion, the clerk reported a final tally of 17 ayes and 1 nay and the bill was advanced to calendar and rules.
