Cowlitz County reports $2.7 million in opioid-settlement funds on hand; officials outline allowable uses

At the Board of Health meeting, county staff explained the status of opioid-settlement funds and how the money may be used in Cowlitz County. Carol (county staff) told the board that about $2.7 million from prior settlements is currently in the county account and that additional distributions will arrive intermittently over coming years.

“So that amount there, the 2.7, is what's in the bank,” Carol said, describing the periodic nature of settlement payments and noting that the recent Purdue Pharma settlement had been finalized at the state level but the county’s allocation had not yet been determined.

County staff and the health officer outlined eligible uses. The money can be directed to treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment and connecting people to care; services for pregnant and parenting people with substance-use issues; prevention efforts to reduce overprescribing and misuse; and strategies that support first responders or other locally identified interventions. “It can be used for treatment... connecting folks into treatment and recovery... addressing the needs of pregnant or parenting women with substance use issues. It can be used for prevention,” staff said.

County staff said they maintain an updated overview of expected settlement distributions through 2038 and that the county posts updates on its website when funds are received. Board members asked for clarification about timing and how the funds must be spent; legal review was referenced for a pending request about a particular use. No final program allocations were approved at the meeting; staff said the board would be briefed again as allocations and plans are developed.

Why it matters: opioid-settlement money is restricted to purposes tied to opioid harms, treatment and prevention. The funds represent a substantial local resource that county leaders may target toward behavioral-health capacity, overdose-prevention programs and wraparound services, but legal rules and state allocations constrain the timing and allowable uses.

Clarifying details discussed at the meeting included the fact that settlement payments come in different schedules (some once a year, some multiple times per year), and that the recent Purdue Pharma settlement will add to the county’s expected totals once the state determines local shares. Staff also provided a summary spreadsheet and said the county will continue to update the Board of Health when additional settlement funds arrive.