Bill Caption

Relating to the creation of the opioid abatement account, an opioid abatement trust fund, and a statewide opioid settlement agreement.

Fiscal Notes

Any fiscal impacts of the bill would be dependent on the amounts collected by the state from an action against an opioid manufacturer, an opioid distributor, or another person in the opioid industry relating to a violation of state or federal law on the manufacture, marketing, distribution, or sale of opioids.  Therefore, the fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined at this time.

Although this bill would not make an appropriation, it would establish the basis for an appropriation.

The Comptroller of Public Accounts would be required to implement the bill only if appropriated funds for that purpose.

Bill Analysis

SB 1827 would create an Opioid Abatement Account as a dedicated account in Texas' general revenue fund composed of money received by the state from any source resulting directly or indirectly from an action by the state against an opioid manufacturer, distributor, or another person in the opioid industry relating to a violation of state or federal law. This fund would be used to provide evidence-based opioid education and prevention, support efforts to prevent or reduce deaths from opioid overdoses, create and provide training on the treatment of opioid addiction, provide opioid use disorder treatment for youths and adults, provide access to patients suffering from opioid dependence to all medications approved by the FDA to treat opioid dependence, and support treatment alternatives that provide both psychosocial support and medication-assisted treatments in certain areas.

SB 1827 would establish a Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council to allocate and spend monies recovered by the state through a statewide opioid settlement agreement.  The bill would lay out the makeup of the council and specify that council members would not be paid beyond reimbursement for council-related expenses.

SB 1827 would establish an Opioid Abatement Trust Fund outside the state treasury, administered by a trust company. The fund would consist of 85% of all money obtained under any statewide opioid settlement agreement. The remaining 15% of any monies gained would be deposited into the Opioid Abatement Account.

SB 1827 would also require the attorney general and comptroller to make a copy of all statewide opioid settlement agreements, including any amendments to the agreements, and post the information on their websites.

Vote Recommendation Notes

SB 1827 would designate funds received by the state of Texas in an action against opioid production or distribution to a dedicated account, instead of these funds going to the general revenue, to study ways to prevent and reduce opioid-related deaths in Texas. The bill would also create a council and a trust fund to manage the funds attained from statewide opioid settlements.  Texas Action remains neutral on SB 1827.