New York’s Opioid Settlements
This Community Guide will describe how New York is spending its opioid settlements and whether New York is working to ensure community access to opioid settlement funds. Last revised September 1, 2024.
$2.8 billion[1]
[1] Total is rounded. See The Official Opioid Settlement Tracker Tally. Accessed September 1, 2024.
State-Local Agreement (New York Opioid Settlement Sharing Agreement); Legislation (N.Y. Mental Hyg. Law Sec. 25.18, N.Y. State Fin. Law Sec. 99-nn)
Ultimate Decisionmaker
Local officials for counties and New York City
The “State,” although the Attorney General may opt to direct some of these funds to localities
Decision-making Process
Counties and NYC decide autonomously but must certify to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports that their shares were spent on approved uses.
The New York state legislature appropriates funding from the Opioid Settlement Fund to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board makes non-binding spending recommendations to the legislature, OASAS and other state agencies, and Local Government Units.
OASAS decides how to spend its discretionary portion of this share (55%, or 20% of NY’s total funds) on approved uses.
Local Government Units propose uses of monies for the remaining regional portion of this share (45%, or 16.39% of NY’s total funds) across priority areas identified in the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board’s report(s). OASAS releases funds, and counties, cities, or municipalities that receive this funding must certify that their shares were spent on approved uses.
“State” decides (not further specified)
Supplantation
Not prohibited
Prohibited
Not prohibited
Grant Funding
Up to each locality (availability and processes will vary)
Yes. See OASAS’s Opioid Settlement Funding Initiatives page.
No
Public Input
Up to each locality (not required)
Yes (not required, but the New York Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board includes a public comment period in its meetings)
No opportunities available (not required)
Advisory Body
Up to each locality (not required)
Yes (required). See the New York Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board.
The Advisory Board is not necessarily required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience. The Advisory Board is required to “include individuals with personal or professional experience with substance use and addiction issues and co-occurring mental illnesses as well as providing services to those that have been disproportionately impacted by the enforcement and criminalization of addiction” (emphasis added).
No (not required)
Expenditures
No public reporting required (only some intrastate). But see, e.g., NYC’s voluntary publication of expenditures (e.g., FY 2024 report).
Public reporting required. See OASAS’ Opioid Settlement Fund Tracker.
Neither public nor intrastate reporting required
Updates
To find updates on the local share, a good starting point is to check the websites for your county executive or local health department. See also individual localities’ opioid settlement-specific websites, e.g., Albany County, Cayuga County, Delaware County, Livingston County.
For updates on the Opioid Settlement Fund share, visit OASAS’ Opioid Settlement Fund and Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board websites.
A single resource containing updates exclusive to this state share could not be found. See the NY Attorney General’s general opioid settlements website.
Last updated