Community Access | Guide for Opioid Settlement

Can I provide input on spending?

50% Commonwealth share: Yes (not required). Though the Commonwealth is not required to seek public input on uses of its share,[1] the in-person meetings of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC) and its subcommittees include dedicated public comment periods.[2] The KYOAAC is required by state law to meet at least twice each calendar year but has consistently met more frequently.[3]
- Meetings. Meetings are held at the Capitol Complex East in Frankfort and typically do not include a virtual attendance option. Meeting details are available on the KYOAAC’s website.
- Town halls. In 2022, the KYOAAC held town halls across the state to provide an opportunity for community members to discuss the overdose crisis and recovery programming.[4]
50% local share: Up to each locality (not required). Local governments are not required to seek public input on uses of their shares. However, each may choose to seek such input. For example, in early 2024, Lexington’s Opioid Abatement Commission held several town halls to “give residents an opportunity to weigh in on how they think the money should be used.”[5] Watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.

Can I apply for grants?

Yes. The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission regularly awards grants from the 50% Commonwealth share, and community organizations are eligible to apply for funding.[6] You can create an account to seek KYOAAC funding here, read this FAQ on the application process, and see KYOAAC’s application review criteria.[7] Questions about the process can also be directed to kyoaac@ky.gov. Local governments also 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 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). The Kentucky Association of Counties’ (KACo) Opioid Settlement Resources page hosts opioid settlement-related news and a publicly accessible Opioid Settlement Questions page to receive opioid settlement-related queries.
You can also sign up for updates from Community Education Group’s Appalachian Opioid Remediation (AOR) Database, which tracks information about the 13 states of Appalachia.

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

The KYOAAC must comply with Kentucky’s open meetings law, but the law does not require public agencies to allow public comments or public participation in a meeting. Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 15.291(4)(a). ↑
See, e.g., June 4, 2024 Meeting Agenda. Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 15.291(4)(b). ↑
See, e.g., Alana Watson. Kentucky commission tasked with distributing $478 million in opioid settlement funds plans website, town halls. WKU Public Radio. August 29, 2022. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Lexington plans town hall meetings on opioid epidemic. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government news release. February 16, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 2 (“An entity or governmental agency shall be eligible for opioid abatement funding…”). See also 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 1(1) (defining “Entity” to have the same meaning as in KRS 14A.1-070(7)); Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 14A.1-070(7) (An “entity” is “a corporation, business or statutory trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, limited cooperative association, or unincorporated nonprofit association, governed as to its internal affairs by the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky”). Note that “[t]o submit an application using the OAAC Grant Portal, an applicant shall be required to become an approved state vendor.” 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 3(1). ↑
See 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 4(4) (“Review of Applications”) (“In awarding funds, the commission shall consider…”). ↑

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Can I provide input on spending?

50% Commonwealth share: Yes (not required). Though the Commonwealth is not required to seek public input on uses of its share,[1] the in-person meetings of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC) and its subcommittees include dedicated public comment periods.[2] The KYOAAC is required by state law to meet at least twice each calendar year but has consistently met more frequently.[3]

Meetings. Meetings are held at the Capitol Complex East in Frankfort and typically do not include a virtual attendance option. Meeting details are available on the KYOAAC’s website.
Town halls. In 2022, the KYOAAC held town halls across the state to provide an opportunity for community members to discuss the overdose crisis and recovery programming.[4]

50% local share: Up to each locality (not required). Local governments are not required to seek public input on uses of their shares. However, each may choose to seek such input. For example, in early 2024, Lexington’s Opioid Abatement Commission held several town halls to “give residents an opportunity to weigh in on how they think the money should be used.”[5] Watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.

Can I apply for grants?

Where do I go for 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). The Kentucky Association of Counties’ (KACo) Opioid Settlement Resources page hosts opioid settlement-related news and a publicly accessible Opioid Settlement Questions page to receive opioid settlement-related queries.

You can also sign up for updates from Community Education Group’s Appalachian Opioid Remediation (AOR) Database, which tracks information about the 13 states of Appalachia.

Citations

The KYOAAC must comply with Kentucky’s open meetings law, but the law does not require public agencies to allow public comments or public participation in a meeting. Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 15.291(4)(a). ↑

See, e.g., June 4, 2024 Meeting Agenda. Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 15.291(4)(b). ↑

See, e.g., Alana Watson. Kentucky commission tasked with distributing $478 million in opioid settlement funds plans website, town halls. WKU Public Radio. August 29, 2022. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

Lexington plans town hall meetings on opioid epidemic. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government news release. February 16, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 2 (“An entity or governmental agency shall be eligible for opioid abatement funding…”). See also 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 1(1) (defining “Entity” to have the same meaning as in KRS 14A.1-070(7)); Ky. Rev. Stat. Sec. 14A.1-070(7) (An “entity” is “a corporation, business or statutory trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, limited cooperative association, or unincorporated nonprofit association, governed as to its internal affairs by the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky”). Note that “[t]o submit an application using the OAAC Grant Portal, an applicant shall be required to become an approved state vendor.” 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 3(1). ↑

See 40 Ky. Admin. Regs. 9:010, Sec. 4(4) (“Review of Applications”) (“In awarding funds, the commission shall consider…”). ↑