Associated Press
JACKSON (GG) — Mississippi lawmakers have set up a plan to distribute funding the state will receive as part of the opioid settlement plan. Mississippi is expected to receive $370 million from pharmaceutical companies that will be split between the state and local governments.
Some public health advocates closest to the opioid catastrophe that affected roughly 9000 Mississippians worry the setup could enable these dollars to be spent on purposes other than ending the overdose epidemic.
A law passed this year outlines a general framework for how the state will spend its portion. A 15-person advisory council will make recommendations on how to spend $259 million based on grant applications from organizations focused on addressing the opioid addiction crisis. Another $56 million the state will receive can be spent for any purpose.
The payout will be split between local & state government throughout the state with 85%, or about $315 million, being controlled by the Legislature.
After the governor signed Senate Bill 2767 into law April 10, 2025, the law will outline a general framework for how $259 million of the funds will be distributed. Additionally, a 15-person advisory council — made up of representatives for state government agencies, elected officials and law enforcement officials — will create a grant application process for organizations focused on addressing the opioid addiction crisis.
Following evaluation of the applications and making a list of which grants should be funded, the Legislature will decide whether to approve or deny each of the council’s recommendations. The state legislators can then spend the remaining $56 million they control for any purpose — related or unrelated to addressing addiction.
It’s the highest percentage of any state’s opioid settlement share that will be controlled by a Legislature, according to the Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program and OpioidSettlementTracker.com. The Mississippi governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house will each assign two people to the advisory committee
The bill says council members need to be appointed by early June.
This is a very important and timely article. The distribution of settlement funds is critical to actually addressing the crisis on the ground. While the framework for the advisory council is a good start, my concern is that without strict, evidence-based guidelines, the funds could be misallocated to projects that don’t have a proven impact.
A key part of any effective strategy must be supporting practitioners who are helping people safely taper off opioids and manage pain with alternatives. I recently read a fascinating practitioner’s perspective on this very challenge, which delves into the non-pharmacological methods and adjunct therapies that are crucial for long-term success. It raises an important question: as Mississippi develops its grant application process, what specific criteria will be used to ensure funded programmes prioritise these comprehensive, evidence-based treatment plans over simpler, less effective measures? Here’s the piece I mentioned: https://theopioidhackathon.com/navigating-the-path-away-from-opioids-a-practitioners-perspective
It would be great to hear if the advisory council has considered including such expertise to guide their recommendations.