Dear Resident,
This week, the County Administration announced the names of some of the organizations it will be distributing funds to that were received as part of the opioid litigation settlement. As you may already be aware, the settlement funds that the county has received are from a lawsuit against the nation’s drug manufacturers and distributors. The distribution plan will allocate at least $60 million over the next four years toward prevention, education and treatment programs that will partner county agencies with health care providers and community groups involved in battling opioid addiction in Nassau. The lawsuit has not yet been fully resolved. Therefore, there will be additional settlement money in the future that will be used to help combat the opioid epidemic.
Last year, in anticipation of the opioid settlement, the Legislative Majority introduced and passed legislation to create a special revenue fund to ensure that every dollar from the settlement would go towards prevention, education and treatment programs. Without the special fund, the settlement proceeds would have been placed into the county’s general fund, where it could be spent for purposes wholly unrelated to the opioid crisis. With the initial round of funds finally in place, it is gratifying to know that the money will be fully dedicated for this purpose and will go a long way toward helping those battling opioid addiction.
A Request for Information is expected to be released in the near future that will allow any interested entities to apply for funding from the program. I will provide any further updates as they become available.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any thoughts and ideas you may have with respect to the County or on any particular issue that you think I may be able to assist you with. You may contact me at (516) 571-6214 or by email at LSchaefer@NassauCountyNY.gov .