ORDINANCE approving the creation of the Houston Opioid Abatement Fund (“The Fund”) with zero beginning fund balance to receive revenues from the Texas opioid abatement trust fund and the Texas opioid abatement account as provided by the Texas opioid abatement trust company and the Texas opioid abatement fund council for the operation, maintenance and support of the City’s targeted interventions and strategies to address the opioid crisis locally.
The Finance Department (FIN) recommends the City Council approve the creation of a special revenue fund (SRF) for the public health emergency resulting from the opioid crisis.
The State of Texas will receive funds associated with opioid abatement settlements over the next eighteen years from manufacturers, distributors, and other parties who have violated state or federal laws around opioids. Of these funds, fifteen percent will be distributed directly to political subdivisions to address opioid-related harms in counties and municipalities throughout Texas. The City of Houston will receive a portion of this allocation, and the funds will be used in support of the City’s efforts to mitigate the public health impact of opioids in the community at large.
Fiscal Note: No significant fiscal operating impact is anticipated as a result of this ordinance.
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William Jones
Chief Business Officer / Director of Finance