Committee advances three-year school drug-prevention pilot after public testimony

The Education Committee voted to advance House Bill 902 to the finance committee after adopting an amendment that rewrites the bill and hearing public testimony. The bill, as explained by sponsor Representative Jones, would start a three-year pilot beginning in the "2627 school year" to award grants to five local education agencies to expand consistent, age-appropriate substance-abuse and violence-prevention instruction from roughly 3rd grade through 11th grade and add family-engagement components.

Representative Jones described the proposal as an effort to establish a consistent, repeated prevention sequence aligned with coordinated school health guidance. "It will provide a sequence of lessons addressing substance use and violent risk and protective factors," Jones said, and the measure makes grant eligibility contingent on LEAs demonstrating family-connection supports (for example, partner organizations like Families Free or children's advocacy centers).

Community witnesses urged the committee to fund consistent, evidence-based prevention. "If we start early, we can break that cycle," said George Rallis, a Murray County resident who testified that Tennessee faces high overdose rates and that education must be mandatory and consistent. Chuck Coble, chair of the Marshall County Recovery Foundation, described implementing a K–11 prevention curriculum this year and reported early buy-in from teachers and students. Rich Garza, a longtime school speaker, argued repetition and consistency are key to changing norms among youth.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on prior program effectiveness and classroom time. Representative Glenn asked what previous approaches failed and why this program would be different; Representative Jones pointed to broader scope and sustained, year-after-year instruction and cited Utah adoption as an example, adding she would provide the committee with the Utah Board of Education materials. "They are showing 87% cuts in tobacco, 60% cuts in alcohol, 75% cut in marijuana usage," Jones said, attributing the figures to the Utah Board of Education.

Members also raised implementation concerns about schedule impacts on required academic instruction and whether schools have time to absorb a new, multi-grade curriculum. Representative Johnson asked the sponsor to share the underlying data and Representative McKenzie requested clarity on hours and how the family component would be implemented; Representative Jones said local districts (LEAs) would have discretion on scheduling and that the program units could be taught in counseling or school coordinated health settings.

After debate, the chair called the previous question; the clerk recorded 16 ayes, 1 nay, and 1 present not voting. House Bill 902 was referred to the finance committee. The committee record shows an intent to track implementation details and to request supporting evidence from other states, but no directive in the hearing required a statewide mandate at this stage — the bill as amended is a pilot limited to five LEAs.

Next steps: HB 902 will be considered by the finance committee; sponsor and witnesses indicated they would deliver supporting Utah materials and additional implementation details to committee members.