Opioid Abatement Authority updates state‑agency grant terms, sets acceptance deadlines and carry‑forward rules

Charlie Lintum, director of operations for the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, told state agencies in a webinar that updated terms and conditions for OA awards will take effect for the 2026–27 performance period beginning Oct. 1, 2026.

The changes, adopted by the authority’s board in November, centralize requirements that previously lived in multiple guidance documents and add new timelines and compliance provisions for state‑agency awards, Lintum said.

Why it matters: The updated terms affect how state agencies accept awards, request carry‑forward funds, report expenditures and respond to compliance reviews—practical steps that determine whether agencies receive or keep OA funds.

Use of funds for conferences: Lintum said agencies that already have OA awards may use unencumbered 25–26 funds to attend the Virginia Recovery Conference only if the awarded project’s budget includes a line item for training, professional development or conference attendance. "If your awarded project contains a line item for training, professional development, conference attendance, etc., and unencumbered funds are available, you may use those funds to cover costs for attending the Virginia Recovery Conference," he said. Funds cannot be moved between separate awarded projects without OA approval; agencies without a conference line item may submit a budget change request for OA review.

Timeline and proposal schedule: Lintum reviewed the proposal schedule and deadlines: the proposal window opened March 20; a grants‑portal webinar was posted March 24; OA will hold an open Q&A session on May 19; proposals are due in the portal by June 8 at 11:59 p.m.; staff will post recommendations on Aug. 7 and the grants committee will consider awards on Aug. 15.

Acceptance and documentation deadlines: New awards tied to the Oct. 1 performance‑period start will require agencies to accept (sign) the award package within 90 days and submit all required documentation within 120 days. For awards approved during the fiscal year, the windows are 60 days to accept and 90 days to submit documentation. Lintum said failure to meet these timelines may result in rescission of the award, the agency reapplying at the next deadline, or, in some cases, the executive director setting the award amount to zero for the current period; agencies may submit extension requests for executive‑director consideration.

Portal changes and renewals: OA reworked the portal renewal workflow into more granular screens for current‑year personnel, operating and capital costs, funding sources, out‑year planning and a read‑only summary to help agencies calculate potential carry‑forward. Agencies seeking renewals must submit signed renewal proposals (signed by the agency head or designee), year‑to‑date spending by expenditure category and fund source, and projections to enable the portal to compute carry forward.

Carry‑forward rules and true‑up: Agencies may use approved carry‑forward balances to continue a project while completing award acceptance so renewal‑year funds can be transmitted, but carry‑forward is only available through the renewal process and should not be used to expand project scope. Carry‑forward funds must be expended or encumbered to 80% before OA will transmit additional funds. OA will also combine the carry‑forward true‑up with the annual report into a single submission step to simplify reporting.

Compliance, monitoring and reporting: The updated terms add explicit language about OA compliance reviews, including outreach surveys, questionnaires, site visits and financial and performance reviews. Lintum emphasized that the awardee agency—not subrecipients—is the primary OA point of contact and must ensure subrecipient and vendor reporting. Annual reports must include a narrative status update, goals and barriers, final expenditures by line item and fund source, the final carry‑forward amount and supporting general‑ledger documentation; annual reports are due Nov. 1 for the performance period that ended Sept. 30.

Communications and contacts: Updated terms and other materials are posted on the OA grants info web page under the state‑agency tab. Lintum listed OA liaisons for state agencies as Sherekica Bridges, Cindy Newman and Tony McDall and said Erica Tanner will be added as a liaison this year. He also told participants to contact the general OA grants information address provided in the webinar for onboarding support.

What happens next: Agencies should review the updated terms before submitting proposals for the 2026–27 performance period, coordinate with finance and budget teams to ensure accurate year‑to‑date reporting, and contact their OA liaison with questions. Lintum said the webinar recording and slide deck will be posted to the Abatement Academy web page and included in a future newsletter.