Governor Laura Kelly has signed Senate Bill 174. The bipartisan Bill decriminalizes fentanyl test strips and increases the criminal penalties for people convicted of battery of a healthcare provider. While fentanyl overdoses are on the increase, Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards says when it comes to fentanyl, it’s more than on overdose:
Governor Kelly calls the signing of the Bill, one step toward reducing overdose deaths resulting from the presence of fentanyl in drugs. With the Bill, battery against a healthcare provider is now a Class A misdemeanor. That crime has been on the rise over the past few years.
