Advisory Bodies

Has the state established an advisory body for settlement funds?

Yes. Louisiana’s settlement MOU created the Opioid Abatement Taskforce (OATF) to “advise the Attorney General and the Parishes and Municipalities on the priorities that should be addressed as part of the opioid epidemic and to review how monies have been spent and the results that have been achieved with the Opioid Funds.”[1] The Task Force’s program administration duties are delegated to the Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation (OAAC),[2] which acts as the “conduit” for distributions of funds to parishes and sheriffs.[3]

The OATF is required to meet at least once a year, either in person or virtually,[4] but in practice has met more frequently.

Is the state advisory body required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience?

No. The OATF is not required to include a member with lived and/or living experience.

What is the overall membership of the state advisory body?

The composition of Louisiana’s five-member Opioid Abatement Taskforce is defined by the state’s settlement MOU:

• One member appointed by the Louisiana Municipal Association[5]

• One member appointed by the Police Jury Association of Louisiana[6]

• One member appointed by the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association[7]

• One member appointed by the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Health (or their designee)[8]

• One member appointed by the Governor who is a “licensed SAMHSA provider”[9]

OATF members designate their own chair and serve three-year terms.[10] The OATF roster as of August 2023 can be found here.[11]

Are local governments required to establish a settlement advisory body? If so, are local advisory bodies required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience?

No (up to each locality) (but see Louisiana Opioid Abatement Taskforce). Though the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Taskforce does advise parishes and municipalities on uses of their funds,[12] local governments in Louisiana are not each required to establish their own opioid settlement advisory bodies. However, localities may choose to establish advisory councils that include members with lived and/or living experience to help ensure that settlement spending reflects community priorities.

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

1. Louisiana State-Local Government Opioid Litigation Memorandum of Understanding (“Louisiana Settlement MOU”), Sec. B. ↑
2. Informational Webinar, Slide 9 (“Opioid Abatement Administration Corp.”). Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force and Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation. August 3, 2023. ↑
3. Informational Webinar, Slides 8-9 (“Louisiana Opioid Abatement Taskforce”). Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force and Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation. August 3, 2023 (“If the Taskforce received funding directly, it would be state money”; this “necessitates the [creation of the] Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation (OAAC) as the distribution conduit to parishes and sheriffs” to allow “[f]unds [to] retain their private character until distributed”). The Task Force and OAAC are in some contexts described to be the same entity. See, e.g., Resolution No. 141337. Jefferson Parish. March 1, 2023 (“the Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation, a non-profit corporation of the State of Louisiana, referred to as the ‘Task Force…’”). ↑
4. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.6. ↑
5. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.2(a). ↑
6. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.2(b). ↑
7. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.2(c). ↑
8. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.3(a). ↑
9. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B.3(b). ↑
10. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Secs. B.4-5. ↑
11. See Informational Webinar, Slide 8 (“Louisiana Opioid Abatement Taskforce”). Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force and Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation. August 3, 2023. But see Opioid Abatement Task Force. Louisiana State Legislature website. Accessed September 1, 2024 (listing different members and a vacancy; likely out of date). ↑
12. Louisiana Settlement MOU, Sec. B. ↑