Opioid Abatement Council

Background

On Oct. 3, 2022, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, as part of a nationwide agreement, settled litigation against three opioid distributors (McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc, and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corp). The State’s total recovery was $518 million.

King County will receive opioid settlement funds via the One Washington Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Under the MOU, $476 million will be shared by Washington state and its counties and cities with populations over 10,000 over the next 17 years to address the opioid epidemic. King County, WA will specifically receive $1 –$1.5 million (after administrative fees) each year through the 17-year period, starting December 1, 2022. Cities within King County receive funding based on population size.

Role of the Opioid Abatement Council

Settlement funds allocated to King County and its eligible cities will be overseen by the King County Opioid Abatement Council (OAC). This is a mandatory regional entity required by the One Washington MOU. The OAC is made up of representatives from King County, the City of Seattle, and the Sound Cities Association.

The OAC is responsible for ensuring appropriate reporting and accounting by cities and King County for settlement funds. While the OAC oversees distribution and reporting on spending of settlement dollars, it does not control decision-making related to spending. Cities and King County receive direct payments from the settlement proceeds and control how those funds are spent within their jurisdictions if they are spent on opioid abatement services and programs.

• National Opioid Abatement Trust II

Who is on King County Opioid Abatement Council?

Government representatives from:

• King County (2 members)
  • Brad Finegood, Public Health—Seattle & King County
  • Dan Floyd, Dept. of Community and Human Services
    
• City of Seattle (1 member)
  • Jeff Sakuma, City of Seattle
    
• Sound Cities Association (1 member)
  • Kent Hay, City of Auburn

Membership is based roughly on the percentage of regional funding received.

What is the role of Public Health — Seattle & King County?

Public Health — Seattle & King County serves as the administrator of the OAC and, as such:

• Receives and maintains expenditure reports and other data from parties utilizing settlement funds
  
• Maintains and updates public data dashboards
  
• Maintains OAC records
  
• Prepares annual accounting of OAC administrative expenses
  
• Reports to the National Trust as required

King County cities with population over 10,000 people receiving funds

Resources

• Opioid Settlement Stakeholder Feedback (552 Kb), Univ. of WA School of Nursing
• WA State Attorney General Opioid Pharmacy & Manufacturer Settlements Page
  
• National Opioids Settlement (nationalopioidsettlement.com)
  
• WA opioid settlement funds FAQ
  
• Tracking Opioid Settlements & Spending Plans Since 2019 (opioidsettlementtracker.com)
  
• Opioid Solutions: Approved Strategies (naco.org)