Opioid Settlement Funds Application

Of that $26 billion, counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky received $478.1 million to be paid out in installments through 2038. In collaboration with the Attorney General’s office, KACo worked to ensure that counties receive their fair share of the settlement dollars to support addiction treatment and recovery services. Also within that collaboration, the settlement dollars are expected to be used to help serve individuals affected by the opioid crisis, in which this funding is only allowed to be spent for organizations and services in Pendleton County. 

With each settlement, counties and cities will receive half of the state’s allocation, less funds set aside for payment of fees to the attorneys that represented local governments in the litigation. 

Since 2022, other settlements have been made with other pharmaceutical distributors, which resulted in additional opioid settlement funding for counties to use within the guidelines set forth by the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo). 

Through a year of planning and collaboration between the Fiscal Court, Pendleton County Champions and other community partners, the County established an Opioid Advisory Board, in which one of the roles of that Board was to determine best practices and recommendations in spending the opioid settlement money that was allocated to Pendleton County. 

Upon further collaboration, the Opioid Advisory Board recommended to establish a Request for Proposals project, in which any individual/organization in Pendleton County will be allowed a fair opportunity to apply for this funding to support local efforts in fighting the opioid crisis. In other words, this could also be referred to as a local grant funding opportunity.