Community Access
Can I provide input on spending?
Opioid Abatement Board share: Yes (required). Though the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board has not established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of the Opioid Abatement Board share,[1] it does require political subdivisions applying for grants from this share to provide an opportunity for public input.[2] Specifically, prior to applying for a grant from the Abatement Board, political subdivisions must:
“[I]dentify and engage a group of local stakeholders, such as a governance committee or advisory council, to coordinate assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation activities according to established principles of the Board”[3]
“[E]ngage in meaningful consultation” with a variety of listed stakeholders, including “individuals and families impacted by the crisis”[4]
“[P]rovide an opportunity for public comment”[5]
Conduct “a needs assessment to examine local data and identify community needs pertaining to opioids” which is then used to develop a grant application[6]
Explain in the grant application “how [the political subdivision] evaluated and assessed the needs in [the] political subdivision to identify and deploy the projects or abatement efforts [the political subdivision is] seeking to fund”[7]
Look for opportunities to engage in these processes when your local government (e.g., city, county, or school district) applies for funding from the Abatement Board, and watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls. You can also attend meetings of the Abatement Board, which publishes meeting information on its website but is not obligated to reserve opportunities for public comment in its meetings.[8]
State share: No opportunities available (not required). The state has not established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of its share.[9]
Litigating Subdivision Direct share: Up to each locality (not required). Local governments are not required to seek public input on their direct distributions from this share. However, each may choose to seek such input. Watch for opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.
Can I apply for grants?
It depends. Political subdivisions can apply for funding from the Opioid Abatement Board Share.[10],[11] Details on the grant application process and current opportunities for political subdivisions are available here. Local governments may create grant programs to distribute settlement 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 Grant Portal (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?
A single resource containing updates specific to the state share could not be found.[12]
For updates on the Litigating Subdivision Direct share, a good starting point is to check the websites for your county board of commissioners, city council, or local health department (see, e.g., Mayes County’s website).
What else should I know?
Not applicable.
Citations
If you see this change, email tips@opioidsettlementtracker.com. ↑
Note that the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board imposes these requirements via its grant application and accompanying guidance. There is no legal requirement that the Board condition funds from this share on a political subdivision conducting community engagement and/or allowing for public input. See, e.g., Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Question 13 (“Under this requirement, a political subdivision must … provide the opportunity for public comment”). Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Question 13. Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The “established principles of the Board” may be a reference to the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative’s December 2023 “Guidance for Oklahoma political subdivision use of opioid settlement funds,” which is linked to by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Grant website. ↑
Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Question 13 (“Under this requirement, a political subdivision must engage in meaningful consultation with local health departments, hospitals, schools, public safety service providers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, prevention specialists, treatment providers, first responders, individuals and families impacted by the crisis and other subject matter experts”). Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Question 13 (“Under this requirement, a political subdivision must … provide the opportunity for public comment”). Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Question 13 (“As a part of the meaningful consultation, a political subdivision must also provide evidence that it conducted a needs assessment to examine local data and identify community needs pertaining to opioids. Based on the needs assessment, an eligible political subdivision will then formulate a plan that becomes part of a submitted application for a grant award”). Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed July 4, 2024. ↑
Opioid Abatement Grant Application, Question 16c. Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. December 20, 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
Documents from the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board indicate the Board is subject to the state open meetings law, which generally requires the public be allowed to attend meetings. See Agenda Item XII from the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board’s Special Meeting on December 6, 2023 (stating that the Board is required by the state open meetings law to set the date, time, and place of regularly scheduled meetings); Okla. Stat. tit. 25, Sec. 303. But see 2002 Oklahoma Attorney General Opinion 26 (Jul. 9, 2002) (“public bodies are not required to provide an opportunity for citizens to express their views on issues being considered by a public body”). ↑
If you see this change, email tips@opioidsettlementtracker.com.) ↑
“Political subdivision” is defined to include municipalities, school districts, counties, and public trusts (municipal or county hospitals and public trusts for certain medical teaching hospitals). See Okla. Stat. tit. 74, Sec. 30.5(9) (defining “political subdivisions” by reference to certain provisions of Section 152 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes) and Okla Stat. tit. 51, Sec. 152(11)(a)-(d) (defining “political subdivisions” to mean the above). See also OAC Sec 75:50-1-1 (defining “political subdivision” by reference to Okla. Stat. tit. 74, Sec. 30.5(9)). ↑
Abatement Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Questions 9-10 (describing that non-profits cannot apply for grant funding from the Opioid Abatement Board share but that “[non-profit organizations] … may partner with an eligible political subdivision that they serve for purposes of implementing a specific approved opioid abatement project”). Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. January 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑
If you see this change, email tips@opioidsettlementtracker.com. ↑
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