Cities that qualify to join the five new opioid settlements should have been contacted recently by the settlement administrator with instructions and settlement documents. These settlements are in addition to the distributor settlement funds eligible cities began receiving in December last year.

The settlement documents, as well as information about the settlement and process, can be found on the Attorney General’s Opioid Pharmacy & Manufacturer Settlement website.

The deadline for cities to join the five settlements to receive a portion of up to $217 million for eligible local governments is April 18, 2023.

Like the distributor settlements, the funds must be used for opioid use abatement purposes set out in the agreements.

Resources

AWC was recently joined by Jeff Rupert from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and David Ko from Keller Rohrback L.L.P. who provided details on the new settlements process and answered cities’ questions about the new settlement agreements and participation deadlines. Watch the recording and take a look at the presentation slides.

More information and documents regarding these settlements can be found on the national settlement website.

If you have questions about the settlements or the process to join the settlements, please visit the AGO’s website or contact Jeff Rupert, the Division Chief for the AGO’s Complex Litigation Division at jeffrey.rupert@atg.wa.gov and comopioidscases@atg.wa.gov.

Other information

The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) has recently updated this helpful guide on accounting for revenue received from the opioid lawsuits.

Please note that AWC is facilitating the sharing of information between the AGO and cities. AWC is not part of the litigation and does not have a position on the pending litigation or the settlement offers. The information contained in these materials is for informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice. Each city will need to determine its own course of action in consultation with its legal counsel.