Colorado’s Opioid Settlements

This Community Guide will describe how Colorado is spending its opioid settlements and whether Colorado is working to ensure community access to opioid settlement funds. Last revised September 1, 2024.

Total Funds

$713.17 million[1]

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[1] Total is rounded. See The Official Opioid Settlement Tracker Tally. Accessed September 1, 2024.

Allocation

60% to regions, 20% to local governments, 10% to the state, and 10% to “infrastructure”

Mechanism

State-Local Agreement (Colorado Opioids Settlement Memorandum of Understanding); Legislation (Colo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 27-81-118)

	60% Regional Share	20% Local Governments Share	10% State Share	10% Infrastructure Share
Ultimate Decisionmaker	Regional Opioid Abatement Councils	Local officials for cities and counties	Colorado Attorney General	Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC)
Decision-making Process	Regional Opioid Abatement Councils develop two-year spending plans. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council reviews regions’ plans solely to determine if proposed spending is for approved purposes.	Localities decide autonomously. (Most have chosen to direct their local share to their respective region, subjecting those funds to the decision-making processes for the 60% regional share.)	The Colorado Attorney General makes spending decisions with recommendations from the Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Advisory Committee.	The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) decides on funding applications.
Supplantation	Discouraged but not prohibited	Discouraged but not prohibited	Not prohibited	Prohibited
Grant Funding	Up to each region (availability and processes will vary)	Up to each locality (availability and processes will vary)	Yes. See the Colorado Attorney General’s Funding Opportunities page.	Yes. See Colorado Opioid Abatement Council’s funding opportunities here.
Public Input	Up to each regional council (not required)	Up to each locality (not required)	Yes (not required, but meetings of the Opioid Crisis Recovery Fund Advisory Committee typically include a public comment period)	Yes (not required, but meetings of the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council typically include a public comment period)
Advisory Body	Yes (required). See the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council and Regional Opioid Abatement Councils. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council is not necessarily required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience. The state's MOU requires it to include a "member or family member affected directly by the opioid crisis" (emphasis added). Regional councils are not required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience.	Up to each locality (not required)	Yes (required). See the Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Advisory Committee. The Committee is required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience.	Yes (required). See the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council. The Council is not necessarily required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience. The state's MOU requires it to include a "member or family member affected directly by the opioid crisis" (emphasis added).
Expenditures	Public reporting required. See the Colorado Opioid Settlement Expenditures Dashboard.	Public reporting required. See the Colorado Opioid Settlement Expenditures Dashboard.	Public reporting required. See the Colorado Opioid Settlement Expenditures Dashboard.	Public reporting required. See the Colorado Opioid Settlement Expenditures Dashboard. See also grant awardees.
Updates	For updates on the regional share, visit the Colorado Attorney General’s Regional Funds page. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council also encourages members of the public to “reach out to Regional Council primary contacts for regional funding opportunities.”	For updates on the local government share, visit the Colorado Attorney General’s Local Governments page. Another good starting point is to check the website for your county commission, city council, or local health department.	For updates on the state share, visit the Colorado Attorney General’s State Share and Infrastructure Funds page.	For updates on the infrastructure share, visit the Colorado Attorney General’s State Share and Infrastructure Funds page. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council also encourages members of the public to sign up for its newsletter to stay updated on infrastructure share opportunities.