[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,85,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6512998,"mediaKeyId","5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c","parentId",5081676,"title","OAC reports $184.4 million net cash available; fiscal monitoring has identified about $72,000 in unallowed costs","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4316000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c&start=4316&end=4316","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c/thumbnail_4316000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512998/Tennessee/OAC-reports-1844-million-net-cash-available-fiscal-monitoring-has-identified-about-72000-in-unallowed-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512998-bd8e04cf0b7592ed37c1a00822a3e70a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770683210&Signature=NQ4eEZPpMaabf16BhFcBxi7QrAUtZo3fU~zuDfdeyXmVStb~Ke0EWMvY2luXdw0~eZGfVDvbXU4t~E9~~btmCMwYxXeJ-8Ct9zq9Hx-Bn0NKaTjtzwYimtMxHM~ch4lQ4TfpyoamUj6LmvS4-fhUkLFyZPxpBqF1a~8UiuJmN0wZxC~DuQrQ5VnDtu5OS3j5Ac8RDZFAa0N~t1FUUh1zgvJXfn5yPpe8kXE3-rqFQGc5FUh2bbN6THn89Hkm2ulRFAwVE1vflFQYakHer5psYB462yUzuDOoiiDbSCQVHpr9c4755Tt7LvdgFO3RJ2Ogk6FglWwPLKgUvYkUn9brHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services","date","2025-06-26T20:03:54.16Z","article","The Opioid Abatement Council’s finance staff reported that the trust fund had a net cash available balance of $184,424,371 as of the statement the office presented in the meeting.

Mary Shelton and OAC finance staff said the office has disbursed the annual county payments required under the distribution formula: $31,400,000 in 2023, $31,000,000 in 2024, and $24,400,000 in the most recent period were distributed to counties, the staff said. The office also said SMART — the vendor that helps counties track spending — will present a county‑level update at the council’s next meeting.

Fiscal monitoring: the OAC’s fiscal-monitoring team completed 15 site visits to Cycle 1 grantees. The office said those reviews have identified approximately $72,000 in unallowed expenditures; the staff also reported one concern, two findings and several referrals that required further legal review. The office has referred at least one matter to the Attorney General’s office for legal follow-up.

Additional settlement funds: staff noted that the Tennessee Attorney General announced an additional Purdue/Sackler settlement payment of roughly $90 million that, if distributed to the trust fund as AG counsel expects, would be allocated to the trust fund when available.

Why it matters: the trust fund balance and the results of fiscal monitoring drive how much the OAC can award to community programs and the level of oversight required. The monitoring results also affect the council’s decisions about prepayment and corrective action for specific grantees.

Staff numbers: Sean Smith and David Lewis described the monitoring program's scope; Smith said the office has processed 792 invoices and paid slightly more than $25 million on Cycle 1 grants. Lewis said the monitoring surveys and post‑site feedback from grantees have been helpful in revising the monitoring tool for FY 2026.

Ending: the OAC office said it will publish the trust fund statement and the county payment schedule on the OAC website and will continue fiscal and program monitoring activities in the coming months.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TN Opioid Abatement Council Meeting: June 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council's office reported $184,424,371 in net cash available in the opioid abatement trust fund, distributed county annual payments totaling tens of millions to date, and flagged roughly $72,000 in unallowed charges during fiscal monitoring visits.","taxTitle","Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",17394,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":42,"_43":78,"_45":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6513003,"Opioid Abatement Council adopts three internal policies, including community advocacy panel rules",6268000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c&start=6268&end=6268","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c/thumbnail_6268000.jpg","/articles/6513003/Tennessee/Opioid-Abatement-Council-adopts-three-internal-policies-including-community-advocacy-panel-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513003-72e1ffb17b847f067aa024c088d5142a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770683210&Signature=cwFbA1eyqs52ztcb8VbkM5vsU9WCV6riqqPLpkXRWGV8rXfs0y8bUD866DO~miC5ugL6m52TTqmaH3vRDpdpz7Y-2T9y8AkdfcLKFYZLKNYffl9CCgPWikRhAwlt8ya4FqRiSw2Z28els1lR8aKCaSuk2sTSTvJT3OkU4PS96LvXVl4znvCMV1ukJ-CB-dRZwZ15iXZaPzleqKz3cUGOW6urWRtLAjpCqlfz1zdBVgte5KgZD31FvYg7clR8iaeWTbd~dHZsltiLK45xU4GZL1roqXNE4tfrFxoACUMgIdqOIRab5Y4Mc8dnkg8wz9Fds-oInts7UMd7SUgQdB32EA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted on June 24 to convert several previously used practices into formal written policies.

The council adopted: (1) a Community Advocacy Panel organizational policy that defines panel membership, selection, expectations and voting; (2) an OAC organizational policy covering meeting procedures, duties of officers, quorum and public-comment rules; and (3) a Conflict of Interest policy that incorporates an attestation statement for members and staff.

Why it matters: the policies document the council’s procedures, clarify membership terms and create a standard conflict-of-interest attestation to support transparency and to reduce audit risk during future comptroller reviews. Legal counsel and OAC staff reviewed drafts in advance of the meeting; the adopted versions will be published by the office.

What the council said: Mary Shelton, executive director, said the policies had been reviewed by OAC legal counsel (including Sam Buckele and JP Urban) and by the staff. Several council members thanked staff for the work and noted the policies would help streamline future operations.

How the votes went: each policy was approved by roll-call vote. The office indicated it will circulate signed copies and add the finalized policies to the OAC website.

Ending: Shelton said once signed the policies would be posted and the office would implement them, including the conflict-of-interest attestation for council members and staff.

","The council approved three written policies — Community Advocacy Panel organizational policy, OAC organizational policy and a conflict-of-interest policy/attestation — formalizing governance and transparency steps recommended by staff and legal counsel.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6513008,"Opioid Abatement Council approves $25 million in Cycle 2 community grants, splits awards across six strategies",411,4829000,5240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c&start=4829&end=5240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c/thumbnail_4829000.jpg","/articles/6513008/Tennessee/Opioid-Abatement-Council-approves-25-million-in-Cycle-2-community-grants-splits-awards-across-six-strategies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513008-bd59a3b76cd3a79a2357f387bf5d8307/orig.mp4?Expires=1770683210&Signature=CHomG-cJgAmBEcLgiOL4C~-qcodX~Ua18jsS~n-yycUHLrsPlTwEsgefT-EA7MJkfRVJ9lzIkYbXUhaSMblc-kLX-18pqdWR8ZJyonR0-o-YPc62Mq-z9uNSrYkdV4Ds4KdGyxHOXte7FnxihFxw4xPVe1KweGwlbwV4~lPEH2WWU6XbgIljC~J-t6ZsS4RX6wy1mGwPvLxYN5JFBGV24NernZK1DtgyPSobBrWowFaqGF~PH6plp3f5c5TGeFATC4eE6S5atfQ9GqgO7aMkFi4e0XFg-t8RpfuI~oCS2-2eQfkrvkMFWt~kpFu1LjJB4bUCuEZU4siae0RZCXLPAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council approved awards today from its Cycle 2 community grant round, allocating $25,000,000 in first-year funding across six strategies including treatment, recovery support and prevention.

Council members considered multiple “packages” of applicants for each strategy and voted to approve the set of awards the council office presented after making several last-minute swaps to respond to concerns about regional equity and applicants that requested funding larger than their reported annual operating budgets.

The council’s Executive Director Mary Shelton and grants staff produced spreadsheets showing which applications scored above the council’s pass threshold (66.67) and offered pre-made “packages” that match the strategy-level targets the council previously set: education and training, harm reduction, primary prevention, recovery support, treatment and research. Shelton told the council the office received 294 Cycle 2 applications requesting about $417 million; 220 passed eligibility and scoring reviews.

Why it matters: the council is distributing opioid settlement and related funds to local organizations, universities and health systems; this round directs $25 million into programs intended to reduce overdose deaths and expand treatment and recovery supports statewide.

What the council voted: after discussion and multiple roll-call votes on package options for each strategy, the council approved the packages the office presented (with a small number of amendments inserted during deliberations). The council’s actions included approvals for packages in research, education and training, harm reduction, primary prevention, recovery support and treatment. The motions were divided into sub‑votes where members had conflicts of interest so councilors could abstain on particular applicants.

Council members raised three recurring concerns while reviewing packages: (1) several applicants requested awards that exceeded their reported annual operating budgets (the office flagged those applications with a lavender highlight and recommended additional due diligence or prepayment oversight), (2) the distribution of awards among Tennessee’s grand divisions and metro areas — particularly West Tennessee — and (3) the size of indirect cost requests from large institutions that serve as fiscal sponsors for smaller community partners.

Several council members urged the body to increase West Tennessee representation in funding decisions. Councilmember Clay Jackson, representing West Tennessee interests, asked members to prioritize West Tennessee applicants where possible to reduce a prior imbalance in awards per overdose death. Others replied that grant-scoring and geographic targeting must be balanced, and the office said it would continue to adjust packages during deliberations to respond to those priorities.

Staff summary of Cycle 1 operations and monitoring informed the deliberations. Grants staff said Phase 1 monitoring of Cycle 1 contracts is complete: the office executed all 113 Cycle 1 contracts and processed 792 invoices representing more than $25 million in payments since July 2024. Fiscal monitoring site visits identified about $72,000 in unallowed expenditures to date; program-monitoring spot checks found a small number of findings that the office is addressing.

Implementation notes: when the council funds organizations that requested awards larger than their annual operating budget, staff indicated they will ask for revised budgets and consider placing the grantee on prepayment (payment withheld until documentation is reviewed) or other enhanced fiscal oversight.

Ending: Shelton said the office will publish the full Cycle 2 award list and supporting spreadsheets on the OAC website. Staff also said they will follow up with applicants that did not pass the eligibility or scoring review and will post decisions and contract templates online.

","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council on June 24 approved allocations from a $25 million Cycle 2 community grant round across six strategic areas after debate over package options, regional equity and requests that exceeded grantees’ operating budgets.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_46":103,"_48":104,"_50":105,"_52":106,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":107,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":108,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6513014,"Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council approves $25 million in Cycle 2 community grants, adopts policies and oversight steps",11582,2909610,14492525,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c&start=2909&end=14492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081676-7bd60c80c67bf050a36247ced35cde0c/thumbnail_2909610.jpg","/articles/6513014/Tennessee/Tennessee-Opioid-Abatement-Council-approves-25-million-in-Cycle-2-community-grants-adopts-policies-and-oversight-steps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513014-1030d9d6b6667fe94f7f2bd05738d408/orig.mp4?Expires=1770683210&Signature=of9zmXE9p5fo3gzW1lmOGyhMMwbJH1H9E8peVcN-nFmAr-hvsflMEtPBbfAXEUVA9fEioEe0OvxTGFkht7JClfaAN85XHDH17jXkt5KalT5LxHVp1bdhAUyOBZmR0WsDX9X46MtohKPgJBIKY04ZXTvG1qsrv3q0X6ufU~rjlw2kAJyG~EnfYTHfMEvPTY9EzCHBbkSFTiCFMS1waOhec7OKQCFv0beHhZRhgX2dr1ihANAcBSuCz6Sse-tQ657T9cVrtULaSY2OKSgLGDFMwBOp034E~gpoU9uFYAPj-G5vj4LxwN8ZAlng2LBwiwDu64P4szAAVE~8Dpy5ybQypA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted on June 16 to allocate $25 million in Cycle 2 community grants from the state opioid abatement trust fund, approving award packages across six strategy areas and taking several governance and oversight actions aimed at strengthening fiscal controls and equity in future grant cycles.

The council’s office reported it received 294 Cycle 2 applications requesting $416,994,997; 220 passed initial eligibility review. The council set a $25,000,000 Year‑1 award target and distributed that total across the six strategy categories the council had previously adopted (education & training; harm reduction; primary prevention; recovery support; research & evaluation; and treatment). The council approved award packages during a series of roll‑call votes and directed staff to finalize contracts.

Why it matters: The council is using settlement and trust funds tied to opioid litigation to fund community programs statewide. The Cycle 2 awards, together with ongoing county payments and contractual monitoring, represent the council’s largest near‑term disbursement of funds intended to reduce deaths and expand services across Tennessee.

What the council approved and decided
- Grant funding: The council approved award packages that together allocate $25,000,000 in Year‑1 funds across the six strategy areas. Office staff provided package options organized to meet the strategy targets and to try to balance regional representation. Approved packages included a mix of university research partners, local health departments and nonprofit recovery and prevention programs; staff will finalize contract amounts and terms in the executed contracts.
- Monitoring and corrective action: The council directed the executive director to develop a contract corrective action and termination process for grantees, to be brought back to the council for formal approval. Staff said fiscal site monitoring completed for earlier grants identified $72,000 in unallowable costs and recommended a transparent remediation and termination path if needed.
- Policy approvals: The council approved three governance items the office presented: the Community Advocacy Panel organizational policy, the OAC organizational policy (rules for council meetings, quorum, duties of chair/vice chair), and a written Conflict of Interest policy and attestation. The office said those policies will be posted publicly after final signatures.
- Administrative and technical items: The council voted to approve estimated upgrades and updates to the SmartSimple application portal (Strategic Technology Solutions) for grant administration; the estimated cost presented was approximately $15,790 (planning/implementation estimate captured in staff materials).
- Process direction for future cycles: The council adopted a motion to continue allowing multiple awards to the same organization for Cycle 2 (because that cycle was already closed) but directed staff to take up a policy in an interim meeting to consider limiting awards to a single grant per agency for Cycle 3 and to consider a 15% cap on indirect costs for Cycle 3. The council also asked staff to research the legal/federal basis for the suggested 15% figure and report back.

Key budget and monitoring figures presented
- Trust fund position (as reported at the meeting): net cash available $184,424,371 (statement date as shown in the office report).
- Cycle 2: 294 applications; $416,994,997 total requested; council Year‑1 award pool set to $25,000,000.
- County annual payments distributed: roughly $31,400,000 (2023), $31,000,000 (2024), and $24,400,000 (recent months) had been distributed to counties; staff said routine county reporting and a SMART initiative update are pending.
- Cycle 1 implementation: staff reported 113 Cycle‑1 grants fully executed and more than 7,900 invoices processed (total paid > $25,000,000 since July 2024). Fiscal monitoring identified $72,000 in funds deemed unallowable in site reviews to date.

Equity, regional representation and scoring discussion
Council members debated how to balance scoring and geographic equity. Several members pressed for special attention to underrepresented regions (particularly West Tennessee) and argued that scoring should not mechanically exclude smaller community providers. Council members also raised concerns about high indirect cost rates in applications and the risk that university pass‑through awards concentrate funding away from front‑line community groups.

Council staff response and next steps
Staff said they would:
- Publish the final lists and award documents on the OAC website (the office indicated the spreadsheet used in meeting materials will be posted).
- Implement the corrective‑action/termination process the council authorized and bring a final draft policy back to the council for approval.
- Continue fiscal and program monitoring for Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 grantees, with a monitoring plan updated to incorporate lessons learned.
- Return to the council in an interim meeting to refine the Cycle‑3 grant rules (including the single‑award limit and an indirect cost cap, if adopted).

What the council did not decide
The council did not finalize a single statewide quota for regional equalization during the meeting; members asked staff to bring data and options back for a focused discussion on geographic equity between meetings. The council also did not adopt an immediate cap on indirect costs for Cycle 2 awards; that was scheduled for consideration before Cycle 3.

Context and background
The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council was formed to distribute funds from opioid litigation settlements and related sources to community programs that prevent opioid misuse, expand treatment and recovery supports, and fund research and evaluation. The Cycle 2 awards followed a statewide competitive solicitation; staff presented technical reviews, scoring results and suggested “packages” sized to each strategy target to help the council reach the $25 million Year‑1 distribution.

What to expect next
Staff said they will post the full award matrices and contract documents, begin contracting and execute monitoring plans. The council asked staff to return to an interim meeting to finalize the Cycle‑3 rules on multiple awards per agency and indirect cost caps, and to bring back supporting research on the 15% indirect‑cost benchmark.

Ending note
Council members and staff repeatedly framed the day’s votes as an opportunity to put funds into communities “now” while strengthening oversight and refining grant rules for the future. The council closed the meeting after a public comment period and administrative items.","The Opioid Abatement Council voted to allocate $25 million from the state trust fund for Cycle 2 community grants across six strategy areas, approved related policies and a process for contract corrective action, and directed staff to study limits on multiple awards and indirect costs for future rounds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

OAC reports $184.4 million net cash available; fiscal monitoring has identified about $72,000 in unallowed costs

Opioid Abatement Council adopts three internal policies, including community advocacy panel rules

Opioid Abatement Council approves $25 million in Cycle 2 community grants, splits awards across six strategies

Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council approves $25 million in Cycle 2 community grants, adopts policies and oversight steps