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
Pennsylvania’s Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust approves and oversees settlement funding allocated by participating localities (counties and subdivisions), publishing annual reports detailing these expenditures. The remaining percentage of settlement funding is appropriated by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to state agencies, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), to support statewide grant programs.
Has the state awarded settlement funds?
Yes. The most recent annual report from the abatement trust features total settlement funding distributed to counties, district attorneys, subdivisions, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, though specific details on expenditures made from these distributions are not included. Reports from the Attorney General’s Office highlight grant programs and initiatives funded from the share allocated to the Commonwealth. These grant programs and initiatives, largely supported by DDAP, include student loan repayment ($19.8 million); substance use crisis stabilization ($9 million); funding to Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities ($6.2 million); and drop-in harm reduction centers ($6.5 million). Additionally, a group of researchers from state universities compiled a dashboard that highlights state, county, and subdivision expenditures categorized by opioid remediation strategy.
Has the state announced priorities or recommendations for spending?
No publicly available information.
Previous spending details
Not applicable.
Statewide reporting of local spending
The majority of Pennsylvania’s settlement funding goes to participating localities. The trust collects reports on settlement fund expenditures for counties, district attorneys, and subdivisions across Pennsylvania. Reports from August 2022 to December 2023 revealed over $70 million in settlement funding was expended or committed by localities to opioid remediation programs. A local nonprofit newsroom from the state also operates a dashboard that tracks expenditures from participating localities.
State Settlement Website or Dashboard
Spending Plans and Agreements
Not applicable.
Process for Settlement Disbursement
Legislation requires that the statewide share of settlement money be used upon legislative appropriation.
State and Political Subdivision Split
Structure
Locally Controlled (>50 percent of funding controlled by cities and/or counties)
Allocation Formula
15 percent state, 70 percent counties, 15 percent litigating subdivisions
Role of Advisory Committee
The Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Board of Trustees governs the trust.
