Community Access

Can I provide input on spending?

Yes (required). The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission (POSDC) is required by state law to “seek input from the public . . . and individuals concerned with the intended purposes of the [settlement] [f]unds” and hold public hearings “as necessary” to provide opportunities for public comment.[1] It is tasked to ensure that “decisions on how to spend opioid-related funds are based on the consensus of stakeholders through a process that considers the views and experiences of affected communities.”[2] Significantly, the POSDC can only take official action, including making any findings or recommendations, with the approval of a majority of its members at a public meeting.[3]

These requirements are reflected in the POSDC’s Resolution No. 2023-1, which created several standing committees. The Public Outreach and Community Input Committee is responsible for proposing best practices for gathering public input and identifying trends in data collected from public outreach.[4]

• Public comment at POSDC’s committee meetings. The resolution requires all of the POSDC’s standing committees to give members of the public opportunities to speak at its meetings, “subject to such reasonable time, place and manner restrictions as the presiding officer may prescribe.”[5] The greater POSDC and the Public Outreach and Community Input Committee both convene on a quarterly basis; check their public meetings calendar for future opportunities to provide public comment.[6]

• Listening sessions and public survey. In 2023, the POSDC held a series of listening sessions in all three of Delaware’s counties.[7] Keep an eye out for similar opportunities in future. The POSDC has also sought feedback through its ongoing “Listening Tour Survey,” which provides members of the public an opportunity to “help the commission better understand the opioid-related problems you have experienced, learned about, or provided services for and the resources you believe are needed to reduce them,” and “inform [its] recommendations for remediating Delaware’s opioid crisis.”

Can I apply for grants?

Yes. Delaware has previously established settlement-funded grant opportunities for which community organizations are eligible to apply. Current and past funding opportunities from the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission are posted here. Local governments may create grant programs to distribute their share of funds. The existence, parameters, and processes for local settlement grant programs will vary by locality, so stay alert for new opportunities. Visit the Opioid Settlement Community Grants Portals (OpioidSettlementTracker.com and Legal Action Center) for the most up-to-date information on settlement grant opportunities for community organizations.

Where do I go for updates?

• For updates on the Prescription Opioid Settlement Fund, visit the POSDC’s website and subscribe to receive email updates.

• To view and subscribe to the POSDC’s calendared public events, including the meetings of its various committees, click “Subscriptions” here. Meeting details include both in-person and virtual attendance options.

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

1. 16 Del. C. Sec. 5196A(h). ↑

2. 16 Del. C. Sec. 5195(b)(2)(d). ↑

3. 16 Del. C. Sec. 5196A(d)(1). ↑

4. Resolution No. 2023-1 Establishing Standing Committees and Initial Charters. Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission. March 27, 2023 (“[T]he Commission hereby recognizes the formation of a standing ‘Public Outreach and Community Input Committee’ that shall have authority to and shall (a) develop and propose best practices for disseminating information and gathering necessary stakeholder and public input, (b) identify trends in data collected from stakeholder meetings and public outreach efforts, and (c) monitor, make recommendations and periodically report to the Commission with respect to the foregoing.” ↑

5. Resolution No. 2023-1 Establishing Standing Committees and Initial Charters. Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission. March 27, 2023 (“Members of the pubic who are present and desire to speak on a matter of public business must be given an opportunity to speak at the end of each meeting, subject to such reasonable time, place and manner restrictions as the presiding officer may prescribe”). ↑

6. See the several references to “quarterly” meetings here (Public Meeting Calendar. Delaware website. Accessed September 1, 2024). ↑

7. Joe Irizarry. Delaware Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission to lead three meetings on epidemic. Delaware Public Media. June 18, 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024. See also Department of Justice: Opioid Settlement Update – Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission Public Listening Sessions. Delaware Department of Justice. April 2023. ↑