Community Access

Can I provide input on spending?

• 55% 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, Eugene’s city council invites members of the public to request to speak at its meetings and email written testimony to [e-mail],[1] while Salem has allowed members of the public to submit comments on a livestreamed work session regarding opioid settlement allocations in spring 2024.[2] Watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.

• 45% Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Fund share: Yes (required). Oregon state law requires the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Board (OSPTR Board) to “receive testimony and input from the community” at its public meetings and “establish a process for the public to provide written comments and proposals at each meeting of the board.”[3] The OSPTR Board includes a dedicated public comment period at each of its meetings, typically towards the end of each meeting, and is required to hold at least four public meetings each year but has consistently met monthly since its inception.[4] Visit the OSPTR Board’s website to find upcoming meeting dates and agendas, as well as information about past meetings.[5] You can also submit written comments to the OSPTR Board by emailing [e-mail] and apply for consideration to be appointed to the OSPTR board here.

  • Public discussion of annual reports. The Oregon State-Subdivision Agreement also requires the state to host a public meeting to discuss its annual settlement spending report.[6]

Can I apply for grants?

It depends. As of September 1, 2024, the state has not established any grant opportunities for the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Fund share. Local governments may create grant programs to distribute funds from the 55% local share. 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 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?

• To find updates on the local share, a good starting point is to check the websites for your board of county commissioners, city council, or local health department. You can also refer to the Oregon Health Authority’s Oregon Opioid Settlement Funds page, which includes a "Local vs. State Opioid Settlement Funds" section.

• For updates on the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Fund share, visit the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Oregon Opioid Settlement Funds page and the OSPTR Board’s website, and bookmark the OHA’s opioid settlement news feed.

What else should I know?

Not applicable.

Citations

1. See Alan Torres. On the agenda: Eugene fire service fee, Lane County drug deflection, opioid settlement. The Register-Guard. May 13, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

2. Public Meeting Calendar (“City Council Work Session - Options for Allocation of Opioid Settlement Funds”). City of Salem website. April 15, 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

3. Oregon Laws 2022, Chapter 63, Section 6(5) (“The board shall conduct at least four public meetings in accordance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690 ["Records; Public Reports and Meetings”], which shall be publicized to facilitate attendance at the meetings and during which the board shall receive testimony and input from the community. The board shall also establish a process for the public to provide written comments and proposals at each meeting of the board”). ↑

4. Oregon Laws 2022, Chapter 63, Section 6(5). See OSPTR Board Meetings Archive. Oregon Health Authority website. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

5. See, e.g., July 10, 2024 meeting packet. ↑

6. State of Oregon Subdivision Agreement Regarding Distribution and Use of Settlement Funds, Sec. 5(f). ↑