80% local share: Generally, yes. Though local governments are not required to seek public input as to opioid settlement spending specifically, Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law requires public bodies to allow public comment at their meetings,[1] and local governments may also individually choose to seek public input beyond these comment periods. For example, the City of New Orleans awarded a contract to Tulane University to develop recommendations on settlement funds “using a community stakeholder approach” that includes soliciting input from “people currently using drugs” and “representatives from community agencies who frequently engage with individuals who use drugs.”[2] Watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.
The state government has not established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of local governments’ collective 80% share.[3] The Louisiana Opioid Abatement Taskforce (OATF), which advises parishes and municipalities on the use of settlement funds, provides a generic contact form on its website. The OATF also included a call for public comment in its August 2023 meeting, as did the Board of the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation (OAAC) in a December 2023 meeting. Outside of those limited prior occasions and the OATF website’s generic contact form, opportunities for state-collected public are limited.
20% sheriffs’ share: No opportunities available (not required). The sheriffs of each of the state’s 64 parishes have not established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of their shares.[4] However, each may choose to seek such input.
It depends. All of Louisiana’s opioid settlement funds are controlled by parishes and sheriffs, and both 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.
For updates on the local share, visit the OATF’s website and check the website for your parish’s governing body (e.g., council or policy jury), city council, or local health department.[5]
A single resource containing updates on Louisiana’s sheriffs’ share updates could not be found.[6] To contact your local sheriff for information about how these funds are being used, consult this directory.
Not applicable.
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. Secs. 42:14(D) (“Except school boards, which shall be subject to R.S. 42:15, each public body conducting a meeting which is subject to the notice requirements of R.S. 42:19(A) shall allow a public comment period at any point in the meeting prior to action on an agenda item upon which a vote is to be taken. The governing body may adopt reasonable rules and restrictions regarding such comment period”),42:13(A)(3) (defining “[p]ublic body” to mean “village, town, and city governing authorities; parish governing authorities; school boards and boards of levee and port commissioners; boards of publicly operated utilities; planning, zoning, and airport commissions; and any other state, parish, municipal, or special district boards, commissions, or authorities, and those of any political subdivision thereof, where such body possesses policy making, advisory, or administrative functions, including any committee or subcommittee of any of these bodies enumerated in this paragraph”). ↑
2023 Annual Opioid Report. New Orleans Health Department. March 2024. ↑
If you see this change, email tips@opioidsettlementtracker.com. There is no legal requirement for decision-makers to seek public input on uses of this share. ↑
Louisiana State-Local Government Opioid Litigation Memorandum of Understanding, Secs. C.1(a), A.13 (defining “sheriff” to mean “the sheriff in each of the 64 parishes”). See also Informational Webinar, Slide 10 (“Funding Allocations under MOU”). Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force and Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation. August 3, 2023. ↑
The Louisiana Department of Health’s Louisiana Opioid Settlement Tracker has long existed in draft mode only. See, e.g., “Lorem ipsum.” ↑
If you see this change, email tips@opioidsettlementtracker.com. ↑