Public input sought on opioid settlement fund priorities

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho Behavioral Health Council is requesting public input on spending priorities for state-directed opioid settlement funds.

As part of a nationwide settlement with opioid manufacturers, the state-directed opioid settlement fund provides approximately $2 million a year for opioid abatement activities within Idaho. The Idaho Behavioral Health Council is charged with making recommendations to Gov. Brad Little and the Legislature for how these funds are spent each year.

Members of the public may submit proposed spending priorities via email to cfoster@idcourts.net by May 15, 2024. To help inform submissions, examples of opioid abatement strategies that could be approved under the terms of Idaho’s settlement are available at this link. The Council will determine the spending priorities at its quarterly meeting on June 14, 2024. 

For Idahoans unsure about what to suggest, the Idaho Behavioral Health Council says they're looking for new ideas.

"People don't have to be legal experts," Sarah Omundson, Administrative Director of the State Courts. "They don't have to understand the ins and outs of that. If what they are seeing is someone in their community who is struggling with an opioid use disorder and they're identifying it, it doesn't have to be, 'I'm going to start up a program.' It [can] be, 'Here's an idea that I think would help with us addressing these situations.'"