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
The state Attorney General’s (AG) Office and the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council each have authority over distributing 10 percent of total settlement funding. The AG’s Office allocates funding from the state share, while the council, which is also responsible for oversight of regional fund expenditures, allocates funding from the infrastructure share. The state’s settlement distribution site features information on expenditures from each of these shares. A dashboard with actual and anticipated expenditure reports for all shares (including regional and local) of Colorado’s settlement funding is also available, and expenditures can be broken down by share or by award category, such as treatment, recovery, and prevention.
Has the state awarded settlement funds?
Yes. Recent expenditures from the infrastructure share — which is intended to supplement areas of greatest need, support capital improvements, and assist operations of regions receiving funding in Colorado — include funding for recovery high schools, various residential treatment centers, mobile harm reduction units, and integration of peer support and workforce development initiatives, among other examples. Recent expenditures from the state share, which is intended to award projects with a statewide impact, total $8.25 million for Opioid Response Strategic Impact Grants.
Has the state announced priorities or recommendations for spending?
Yes. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council’s Recommendations and Guiding Principles details five priorities for opioid settlement funding investments. These funding recommendations were adapted from the Hopkins Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation, with some example priorities including “invest in cost-effective interventions across the substance use continuum” and “focus on equity.”
Previous spending details
Details on previous rounds of infrastructure grant awards are also available on the state settlement site.
Statewide reporting of local spending
The Colorado Opioid Settlement Funds Dashboard includes information on anticipated and actual expenditures from the remaining 80 percent of Colorado’s settlement funding, which is allocated to regional opioid abatement councils (60 percent) and participating local governments (20 percent).
