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 governor and state legislature are informed by the Statewide Council on Opioid Abatement (SCOA), which is housed within the Department of Children and Families (DCF), on state opioid settlement expenditures. The council, along with the Office of Opioid Recovery (which was established using settlement funding), work within DCF to coordinate cross-agency and state-local efforts related to opioid abatement. The council has published several annual reports that detail settlement expenditures and recommendations for future initiatives.
Has the state awarded settlement funds?
Yes. According to the most recent annual report from the SCOA, fiscal year 2024–2025 allocations include funding for recovery housing ($17.8 million), funding for peer supports and recovery community organizations ($8.25 million), and funding to support the Opioid Data Management System ($5 million), which collects information from all parties receiving settlement funding on their expenditures, implementation plans, and patient-level service claims.
Has the state announced priorities or recommendations for spending?
Yes. Because the SCOA is required to recommend expenditures from the state fund to the governor and state legislature, these recommendations are featured within the annual report. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the council recommended 11 items to prioritize. Recommendations include increasing access to recovery housing, increasing access to peer support and recovery community organizations, and expanding data-sharing agreements to support real-time opioid-related surveillance and evaluation, among others.
Previous spending details
According to the 2023 annual report, state settlement funding went to primary prevention and media campaigns ($25 million), treatment and recovery support services ($20 million), and support of the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Network ($26.8 million), a coordinated care system for treating opioid use disorder, among other investments.
Statewide reporting of local spending
In addition to informing and reporting on state settlement expenditures, the SCOA holds the same responsibilities for localities receiving settlement funding. The SCOA 2024 annual report outlines reported expenditures from jurisdictions receiving settlement funding from the local share and regional shares. Data on expenditures are collected by the Opioid Data Management System — according to these statistics, most expenditures from local jurisdictions supported medication-assisted treatment distribution and connections to care.
State Settlement Website or Dashboard
Spending Plans and Agreements
Process for Settlement Disbursement
Legislation creates an Opioid Settlement Clearing Trust Fund to be administered by the Department of Financial Services.
State and Political Subdivision Split
45-55% State, 30-40% Regional Fund, 15% City/County Fund (shares with a range have percentages calculated annually)
Role of Advisory Committee
The Statewide Council on Opioid Abatement advises governments on spending decisions.
