[State] Opioid Settlement Accountability Hub

Welcome!
The opioid settlement money is here.
We need your help to make sure it's spent right.

People are still dying preventable deaths. Settlement money can stop opioid overdose deaths and help our communities heal. But only if we spend it on things that work: low-cost/low-dose naloxone, syringe service programs, treatment, recovery housing, and overdose prevention centers. This work remains urgent until we get to zeroverdose.

Get Involved! See the Spending
$[X]M OR B Total Settlement Money
[X] Overdose Deaths Last Year
1 Opportunity

Behind every number is a person.

Opioid Settlement Overview

[State] is getting money from opioid settlements. This is because opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies ignored risks and pushed opioids on the American public for decades, leading to an ongoing crisis known as the opioid epidemic. This money has to be used to help fix the harm caused by the opioid crisis.

Where the Opioid Settlement Money Comes From

[State] is getting money from drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies that helped cause the opioid epidemic. These include Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, among others. This money comes into our communities from 2021 to roughly 2038. This is our money. It must stack on top of other government money to help heal the harm caused by the opioid crisis.

Spending Priorities What should opioid settlement money be spent on? Evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports. This includes:
  • Low-dose/low-cost opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone
  • Community-based medications to treat opioid addiction (buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone) and increasing access to them (child care, transportation, specialized services, etc.)
  • Expanding syringe service programs and drug checking services
  • Recovery housing and peer support services
  • Evidence-based prevention programs in schools and communities
Learn more →

Problematic Spending

Some states and local governments are spending opioid settlement money on things that don't help people harmed by the opioid crisis. This is a betrayal to our community.

Money should add services, not replace existing money. Examples of bad spending include:
  • General government expenses, government buildings, and other non-opioid related expenses
  • AEDs, ambulances, vape sensors, etc.
  • Non-evidence-based approaches like ibogaine, DARE, etc.
  • Police equipment like drug dogs, guns, drones, TruNarc, surveillance tools, etc.
  • Replacing existing government funding

See more about [State]'s settlement on the OPI Settlement Wiki →

Get Involved!

Here are ways you can speak up and help shape how [State] spends its opioid settlement money. The crisis is not over. The spending has only just begun. Your voice matters.

How to Testify at Public Meetings Submit a Public Records Request Sign Up for Updates
Public comment opportunity
Meeting (no public comment)
Grant application deadline

Open Grant Opportunities

Know of a grant opportunity we should list? Let us know →

Who holds the power?

Knowing who decides how opioid settlement money is spent at the [STATE] level is the first step to holding them accountable.

[State Attorney General]

State Share — Oversight

[What this body does. For example: "The AG's office watches the state's share of the money and can take it back if it gets misused."]

[State Opioid Council / Board]

State Share — [Advisory / Decision-Making]

[Was it created by a law or an order? Does it decide for real, or just make suggestions?]

[County / City Governments]

Local Share — Spending Authority

[How local governments control their share. Each county or city holds its own money and makes its own choices.]

How Opioid Settlement Money Can Be Spent

Opioid settlement money has to be used to fight the opioid crisis, specifically opioid-related death and disease. The list of allowed uses comes from Exhibit E of the settlement deals.

  • Increasing access to community-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone
  • Expanding accredited inpatient, residential, and outpatient treatment programs
  • Recovery housing and transitional housing
  • Peer recovery support specialists
  • Recovery coaching and case management
  • Warm hand-off programs that connect people to treatment
  • Low-cost and low-dose opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone
  • Syringe service programs (SSPs)
  • Fentanyl test strips and drug checking
  • Overdose prevention centers
  • Mobile harm reduction units
  • Evidence-based school-based prevention and education
  • Training for healthcare professionals
  • Re-entry support after incarceration
Closely watch other spending in the law enforcement category: Some spending here may not be allowed. Check it carefully against state guidance, the settlement agreements, and the intention of the settlements.
Money should add, not replace existing spending: Opioid settlement money should add to what the government is already spending on addiction related issues. It should not replace existing spending.

How to Influence Public Spending

You don't need to be a policy expert. Here are things you can do today, this week, this year to help shape where the money goes in your community.

Show Up

Go to a public meeting and watch. Just being in the room sends a message that someone is paying attention.

See upcoming meetings →

Speak Up

Most public meetings let you speak for 1–3 minutes. ME-RAP has a guide that walks you through it.

Read the testify guide →

Write a Letter

Letters to the editor still work. So do emails to your county commissioner. Short and personal beats long and formal.

See a sample letter →

Ask for Records

Public records requests are powerful. They can help you find out what the government is spending opioid settlement money on if it is not being discussed publicly.

Learn how with the Opioid Policy Institute →

Build a Coalition

You are not alone. Find other advocates, families, and people in recovery who care about this work.

Join the OPI forum →

Use the Roadmap

The Opioid Settlement Roadmap is a guide to good spending. Bring it to meetings and share it with decision makers.

Open the Roadmap →

Track the Bad Spending

The Opioid Policy Institute tracks bad spending. Read about what to look out for, and report what you see to their database.

Opioid Settlement Accountability →

Read About Bad Spending

OPI's has a newsletter about bad spending to help keep you updated about the trends and prevent issues in your community.

Read the newsletter →

Spending Accountability

We track how [State]'s settlement money is really being spent — what decisions get made, what concerns come up, and what reports exist.

Official spending reports: [State] makes spending entities file [yearly / quarterly] reports. View official reports →

Watchdog Notes

[Concern title — e.g., "County X spent money on police equipment"]: [Describe the concern in plain language. What happened, how much money, and why it might be a problem. Source →]

Watchdog Tools You Can Use

OPI maintains national tools for tracking good and bad settlement spending.

Local News Coverage

Recent reporting on opioid settlement spending in [State].

[Headline of an article about settlement spending in your state]
Are you a journalist? If you cover the opioid crisis or settlement spending, visit Reporting on Addiction for resources, training, and a community of reporters covering these important stories.

Money Across the State

A map showing where settlement money is going across [State].

Our Partners

We work with people and organizations across [State] who care about making sure settlement money reaches the people most harmed.

Want to be listed here? If your organization or individual working on opioid settlement accountability in [State], we want to hear from you. Email us →

[Partner Name]

[One sentence about what they do.]

[Partner Name]

[One sentence about what they do.]

[Partner Name]

[One sentence about what they do.]

[Partner Name]

[One sentence about what they do.]

Key Resources

Important people, papers, and tools for advocates and reporters in [State].

Key Documents & Tools

About [Your Org Name]

[Your BLURB]

[Your BLURB]

[CONFLICT OF INTEREST IF RECEIVED OR SEEKING OPIOID SETTLEMENT MONEY - EXPLAIN WHAT AND HOW MUCH OR NONE IF NONE. IT IS IMPORTANT YOUR ORGANIZATION IS ALSO TRANSPARENT]

Visit Our Main Site

Contact & Connect

Stay informed: Get updates when settlement decisions are made in [State]. Join our list →

How We Got Here

A short history of the opioid crisis in [State]. The crisis is not over. Until we get to zeroverdose, this work is urgent.

[State] has lived through the opioid crisis since [year]. [Brief story about how the crisis hit your state — the years, the regions, the communities most affected.]

The people most hurt are still [historically marginalized groups in your state — for example: Black and Indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ people, people in rural areas, people with low incomes, and people with criminal records]. Behind every overdose number is a person. Many more are living with opioid use disorder right now and could be helped by harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support.

The settlement money is one chance to repair some of that harm — but only if it reaches the people most harmed.