Assistant attorney general: Kansas Fights Addiction Fund has $82.8M unencumbered; DECA procurement could cover school naloxone needs
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Summary
Assistant Attorney General Chris Teters told the Committee on Education the Kansas Fights Addiction Fund currently holds about $82.84 million unencumbered, that projected receipts through 2038 could reach about $240 million, and that procuring two naloxone kits per public school via DECA would cost roughly $60,975 per year.
Chris Teters, an assistant attorney general who works on the opioids project, told the House Committee on Education the Kansas Fights Addiction Fund currently has an unencumbered balance of $82,841,277.29 and that additional settlement receipts could push total funding to about $240,000,000 through 2038.
"There are $82,841,277.29 that are unencumbered in the fund," Teters said. He said some amounts are held in an investment account managed by the Sunflower Foundation, which currently serves as the fund's financial agent and grant manager.
On the cost of equipping schools with naloxone, Teters said his analysis assumes about 1,355 public schools in Kansas. "If each school were to buy 2 kits, which would be 4 doses per year, you would need about 2,710 kits per year," he said, adding that DECA can acquire kits at about $22.50 each. "The total cost per year, if we were to spend or go through DECA for every school, would be about $60,000 or $60,975 per year." Teters noted that open‑market prices are higher (about $32–$35 per kit) and that pending legislation could extend kit expiration dates and reduce refresh costs.
Committee members asked how funds could be used for staff training. Teters said districts could apply for grants from participating municipalities or the committee could fund DECA directly by asking DECA to apply to the Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board. He also described outreach methods to inform potential grantees—mailing lists, public meetings (second Friday of each month), and community partners such as DECA and MIR.
Teters outlined the Grant Review Board composition as 11 members appointed by authorities named in statute (one member appointed by the attorney general; others by the governor, legislative leaders, behavioral health board, Kansas Association of Counties, League of Municipalities, etc.) and said the board has a history of awarding DECA grants in prior RFP rounds.
