Cowlitz County health leaders say $2.7 million from opioid settlements is in county bank; larger Purdue allocation to state awaits county share

Cowlitz County Health & Human Services staff told the Cowlitz County Board of Health that $2.7 million in opioid-settlement funds is already in the county’s bank and that more payments will arrive in installments through 2038.

The money came from statewide settlements sued and coordinated by the Washington state Attorney General’s office, Carol (HHS staff) told the board. “That amount there, the 2.7, is what's in the bank,” she said when asked whether the funds were on hand. She said settlements arrive in varying increments — some annually, some multiple times per year — and that a recent Purdue Pharma settlement that will send about $105,000,000 to Washington had been finalized but that Cowlitz County’s share of that award was not yet available.

Why this matters: opioid-settlement dollars are restricted in how they may be used and represent a multi-year funding stream that local health officials expect to use for treatment and prevention programs.

Health officer Steve Krieger described the permissible uses the board may expect. “It can be used for treatment, like medically assisted treatment. It can be connecting folks into treatment and recovery,” Krieger said. He added the funds can support pregnant or parenting people with substance-use issues, prevention efforts aimed at overprescribing or misuse, and other strategies such as support for first responders.

Board members pressed for clarity on timing and legal guidance for specific requests. Carol said the county updates its online spreadsheet of projected receipts “probably every couple months when we receive additional funds,” and that some questions from the board remain under legal review; she did not provide a timetable for the legal office’s response.

No formal action was taken. Board discussion focused on clarifying how much cash was available now, how future settlement payments will arrive, and what program categories the funds may support.

Next steps: staff will continue to update the county’s public reporting of anticipated opioid-settlement receipts and follow up when the county’s allocation of the recent Purdue settlement is determined.