Kentucky's Opioid Settlements

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

Total Funds

$869.8 million[1]

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

Allocation

50% to Opioid Abatement Trust Fund (Commonwealth Share) and 50% to local governments

Mechanism

Legislation (KRS Secs. 15.291, 15.293, 15.295); Regulations (40 KAR 9:010 and 40 KAR 9:020)

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	50% Commonwealth Share	50% Local Share
Ultimate Decisionmaker	Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC)	Local officials for counties, consolidated local governments, urban-county governments, and cities.
Decision-making Process	KYOAAC distributes funds via grants to entities (including nonprofits) and governmental agencies.	Localities decide autonomously but must certify proper uses.
Supplantation	Not prohibited	Not prohibited
Grant Funding	Yes. See KYOAAC Gr​ant Portal.	Up to each locality (availability and processes will vary)
Public Input	Yes (not required). The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission permits public comment at its meetings.	Up to each locality (not required)
Advisory Body	Yes (required). See the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. The Commission is not necessarily required to include member(s) with lived and/or living experience.	Up to each locality (not required)
Expenditures	Public reporting required. The Real Dollars for Real Recovery website lists past KYOAAC funding awards.	Neither public nor intrastate reporting required (but localities must certify uses to KYOAAC)
Updates	For updates on the Commonwealth share, visit the KYOAAC’s website.	To find updates on the local share, a good starting point is to check the website for your county fiscal court, city council, or local health department (e.g., Louisville). See also the Kentucky Association of Counties’ Opioid Settlement Resources website.