Committed to improving the health and well-being of all people across every state.

State Opioid Settlement Spending Decisions: California

This information was compiled based on information from publicly available legislation, state memorandums or executive orders, state websites, and press releases, as well as supplemental interviews with state officials with a role in administering opioid settlement funding.

It offers a snapshot of settlement spending and priorities at the state level (e.g., funding administered by state agencies or designated statewide abatement funds) as well as laws, agreements, and processes that the state has established for allocating funds. NASHP does not track spending at the local or county level, but includes any relevant state-level reports or dashboards that capture local spending within a state. For details on the definitions used here, check out the definitions at the bottom of this page. You can also get an overview of opioid settlement decisions in all states.

Settlement Spending Status

Background

California’s opioid settlement fund houses the state share of settlement funding received from settlement agreements; this funding is appropriated by the state legislature. Since 2022, allocations from the fund have been made to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Department of Public Health (CDPH), Department of Rehabilitation, and Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) for statewide opioid remediation activities.

Has the state awarded settlement funds?

Yes. California’s State Funded Projects page houses information for project allocations each fiscal year. For fiscal year 2025–2026, over $54 million was allocated to the state’s Department of Health Care Services to support a naloxone distribution project, which distributes free naloxone to eligible entities in California, and behavioral health transformation, which implements the state ballot initiative Proposition 1 

Has the state announced priorities or recommendations for spending?

No publicly available information.

Previous spending details

Full details of projects funded through the state as of 2022 are available on the State Funded Projects page. 

Statewide reporting of local spending

Not applicable.

State Settlement Website or Dashboard

Process for Settlement Disbursement

Legislation requires the creation of a fund in the state treasury to hold the 15 percent state share and to be appropriated each year by the legislature. The State-Subdivision Agreement requires the 70 percent Abatement Accounts Fund be allocated to participating cities and counties based on a formula.

State and Political Subdivision Split

Structure

Abatement-Fund Controlled (>50 percent of funding controlled by statewide abatement fund)

Allocation Formula

15 percent state fund, 70 percent California Abatement Accounts Fund, 15 percent California Subdivision Fund

Role of Advisory Committee

Not applicable.

State Annual Report

Not applicable.

State Overviews

Explore each state's settlement spending progress and priorities, as well as available information on settlement-related laws, agreements, reports, and spending dashboards. Use the dropdown below to see details for each state. You can also see an overview of opioid settlement decisions in all states.

Awarded settlement funds: A designated state agency or statewide opioid abatement fund has published its intention to allocate a dollar amount to a specific abatement program, activity, strategy, service, or support OR an appropriation of settlement funds has been made through a legislative process. Due to the nature of budgeting and procurement processes, this funding could be in the process of being budgeted, obligated, expended, or disbursed.

Published general priorities or recommendations to guide spending: A state agency, abatement council, or advisory council has published priority areas of focus or recommended strategies to address the opioid crisis with settlement dollars but may or may not have allocated settlement funding yet.

Statewide reporting of local spending: NASHP will not be tracking every spending example at the local level, but this category includes states that have published dashboards or reports that include local expenditures.

Search

Sign Up for Our Weekly Newsletter

* indicates required
Please enter a valid email address.
Areas of Interest