# 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.*

<table data-view="cards" data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th align="center"></th><th align="center"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center"><h4>Total Funds</h4></td><td align="center"><p><strong>$2.8 billion</strong>[1]</p><hr><p>[1] Total is rounded. <em>See</em> <a href="https://www.opioidsettlementtracker.com/globalsettlementtracker">The Official Opioid Settlement Tracker Tally</a>. Accessed September 1, 2024.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><h4>Allocation</h4></td><td align="center"><p>46.11% to local governments, 36.39% to the Opioid Settlement Fund, and 17.5% to the state</p><p><br><img src="https://3079972982-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FCDY2ZMClzLJr06aocwC7%2Fuploads%2FBGAPLlkHrr1y0lCYJ468%2F_OpioidSettlement-DecisionMaking_New%20York.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a8c350d1-5f52-4ace-b826-be749a82b9fb" alt=""></p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><h4>Mechanism</h4></td><td align="center"><strong>State-Local Agreement</strong> (<a href="https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NY-Sharing-Agreement.pdf">New York Opioid Settlement Sharing Agreement</a>); <strong>Legislation</strong> (N.Y. Mental Hyg. Law <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/MHY/25.18">Sec. 25.18</a>, N.Y. State Fin. Law <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/STF/99-NN">Sec. 99-nn</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table data-header-hidden data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th width="248"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><h4>46.11% Local Share</h4></td><td><h4>36.39% Opioid Settlement Fund Share</h4></td><td><h4>17.5% State Share</h4></td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Ultimate Decisionmaker</strong></em></td><td><strong>Local officials</strong> for counties and New York City</td><td><a href="http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi"><strong>New York state legislature</strong></a>, <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-funding-initiatives"><strong>Office of Addiction Services and Supports</strong></a>, and <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-regional-abatements"><strong>Local Government Units</strong></a></td><td><strong>The “State,”</strong> although the Attorney General may opt to direct some of these funds to localities</td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Decision-making Process</strong></em></td><td><strong>Counties and NYC decide autonomously</strong> but must certify to the <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-funding-initiatives">Office of Addiction Services and Supports</a> that their shares were spent on approved uses.</td><td><p>The New York state legislature appropriates funding from the Opioid Settlement Fund to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-advisory-board">Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board</a> makes non-binding spending recommendations to the legislature, OASAS and other state agencies, and Local Government Units.</p><p><strong>OASAS decides how to spend its discretionary portion of this share</strong> (55%, or 20% of NY’s total funds) on approved uses.</p><p><a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-regional-abatements"><strong>Local Government Units</strong></a> <strong>propose uses of monies for the remaining regional portion of this share</strong> (45%, or 16.39% of NY’s total funds) across priority areas identified in the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board’s <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-advisory-board#reports">report(s)</a>. OASAS releases funds, and counties, cities, or municipalities that receive this funding must certify that their shares were spent on approved uses.</p></td><td><strong>“State” decides</strong> (not further specified)</td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Supplantation</strong></em></td><td><strong>Not prohibited</strong></td><td><strong>Prohibited</strong></td><td><strong>Not prohibited</strong></td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Grant Funding</strong></em></td><td><strong>Up to each locality</strong> (availability and processes will vary)</td><td><strong>Yes</strong>. <em>See</em> OASAS’s <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-funding-initiatives">Opioid Settlement Funding Initiatives</a> page.</td><td><strong>No</strong></td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Public Input</strong></em></td><td><strong>Up to each locality</strong> (not required)</td><td><strong>Yes</strong> (not required, but the <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-advisory-board">New York Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board</a> includes a public comment period in its meetings)</td><td><strong>No opportunities available</strong> (not required)</td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Advisory Body</strong></em></td><td><strong>Up to each locality</strong> (not required)</td><td><p><strong>Yes</strong> (required). <em>See</em> the <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-advisory-board">New York Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board</a>.</p><p>The Advisory Board is <em>not necessarily</em> required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience. The Advisory Board is required to “include individuals with personal <em>or</em> 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” (<em>emphasis added</em>).</p></td><td><strong>No</strong> (not required)</td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Expenditures</strong></em></td><td><strong>No public reporting required</strong> (only some intrastate). <em>But see, e.g.</em>, NYC’s voluntary publication of expenditures (<em>e.g.</em>, <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/basas/opioid-settlement-funds-report-fy24.pdf">FY 2024 report</a>).</td><td><strong>Public reporting required</strong>. <em>See</em> OASAS’ <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/fy-2023-opioid-settlement-fund-initiatives">Opioid Settlement Fund Tracker</a>.</td><td><strong>Neither public nor intrastate reporting required</strong></td></tr><tr><td><em><strong>Updates</strong></em></td><td>To find updates on the local share, a good starting point is to check the websites for your county executive or local health department. <em>See also</em> individual localities’ opioid settlement-specific websites, <em>e.g.</em>, <a href="https://www.albanycounty.com/departments/health/opioid-task-force">Albany County</a>, <a href="https://www.cayugacounty.us/1775/Opioid-Settlement-Funds">Cayuga County</a>, <a href="https://www.delcony.us/blog/delaware-county-opioid-settlement-fund/">Delaware County</a>, <a href="https://www.livingstoncounty.us/1481/Opioid-Settlement-Information">Livingston County</a>.</td><td>For updates on the Opioid Settlement Fund share, visit OASAS’ <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund">Opioid Settlement Fund</a> and <a href="https://oasas.ny.gov/opioid-settlement-fund-advisory-board">Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board</a> websites.</td><td>A single resource containing updates exclusive to this state share could not be found. <em>See</em> the NY Attorney General’s general opioid settlements <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/nys-opioid-settlement">website</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>
