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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board ratify the Chief Administrative Officer’s and Auditor-Controller’s signatures on a budget transfer request (BTR) for fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 to support completion of year-end journal entries and finalize the FY end budget process, moving $1,045,791 of Opioid Settlement Abatement Funds from the current Opioid Settlement Fund (OSF) and increasing the newly established Opioid Settlement Abatement account fund balance by the same amount. The increase in the Abatement program fund balance will be offset by transferring $941,014 from OSF’s Support and Care Persons expenses and $104,777 from OSF’s Health Services expenses for the same purpose under the Abatement account.
FUNDING: 100% Opioid Settlement Funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The opioid overdose epidemic remains a significant public health crisis nationwide, prompting coordinated legal action by state and local jurisdictions. As previously reported to the Board, the County joined multiple national class-action lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and related entities whose actions were determined to have contributed to widespread addiction and overdose deaths. Settlement agreements from these lawsuits continue to provide dedicated funding to counties across California for the abatement of opioid-related harms, with expenditures restricted to allowable uses as defined by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and State Subdivision Agreements.
In alignment with these requirements, the County has established a Strategic Framework to guide the responsible and transparent use of opioid settlement funds. These funds are directed toward high-impact abatement activities and other Board-approved initiatives that support treatment, prevention, education, youth services, residential treatment infrastructure, medication-assisted treatment, and related community-based interventions.
To support ongoing transparen...
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