Advisory Bodies

Has the state established an advisory body for settlement funds?

No. Iowa has not established an advisory body to inform uses of funds from the 50% state share.

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

Not applicable.

What is the overall membership of the state advisory body?

Not applicable.

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). Local governments in Iowa are not required to establish opioid settlement advisory bodies. However, localities may choose to establish advisory councils that include member(s) with lived and/or living experience to help ensure that settlement spending reflects community priorities. For example:

• Jasper County created an Opioid Settlement Committee to accept funding applications and recommend expenditures to the county’s board of supervisors.[1]

• Polk County’s strategic plan for opioid settlement funds indicates that the county will “explore” the creation of an “advisory group made up of [people with lived experience]” in 2024 “to ensure that [people with lived experience] are involved in the preliminary stages of settlement planning.”[2]

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

1. Jasper County Opioid Settlement Funds. Jasper County, Iowa website. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

2. Polk County Opioid Settlement Funds FY2024-26 Strategic Plan. Polk County Behavioral Health & Disability Services. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑