DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a $17.5 million investment in opioid prevention and recovery programs, citing lack of action by legislation this session.
"I'm disappointed that a bill to spend a portion of Iowa's opioid settlement money never reached my desk this session. As a result, $47.5 million remain unused in the fund ... since legislation was not passed, I'm leveraging federal funds to make this investment in the health and well-being of Iowans," Reynolds said.
Reynolds referenced a 2022 set of five settlement agreements with manufacturers Teva and Allergan, as well as pharmacies CVS, Walmart and Walgreens. These settlements, similarly to settlements from the past, will include funds that are to be used to abate the opioid crisis throughout the state of Iowa through prevention and treatment.
This investment is a part of a $345 million settlement over a "multi-year period" through the five new agreements.
Funds will be distributed across the state and through participating Iowa subdivisions in accordance with the Iowa Opioid Memorandum of Understanding. They are required to be used specifically for "opioid abatement activities".
Full agreements from around the country can be found on the National Opioid Settlement website.
Back in April, the Polk County Board of Supervisors sent out a press release that allowed for applications to be submitted for ways to use the funds. The applications and the strategic plan for the settlement funds can be found on the Polk County Behavioral Health & Disability Services website.
Gov. Reynolds will obligate funding for some of the investments she proposed in the latest legislative session:
- $500 to an Opioid Use Prevention Campaign conducted by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to raise awareness of the dangers of opioids and prevent their use
- $1 million to an Opioid Prescription Prevention Program to provide training and nurse-trained technical assistance to physicians in prescribing opioids to surgery patients
- $10 million for a grant program administered by HHS and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to provide physical infrastructure and capacity building grants to treatment and recovery providers
- $3 million to complete the YSS Ember Recovery Campus in Cambridge, a residential addiction treatment center for teens age 12 to 18
- $3 million for a grant program conducted by HHS and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) to build a network of available sober living environments
