About the Opioid Abatement Council

The Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council was formed to ensure that money recovered through the joint efforts of the state and its political subdivisions through a statewide opioid settlement agreement is allocated fairly and spent to remediate the opioid crisis using efficient, cost-effective methods.^[1]

The Council is administratively attached to the Texas Comptroller's office, which provides the staff and facilities as necessary to assist the Council in performing its duties.^[2]

The Council is composed of 14 members, including:^[3]

• six regional members appointed by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission from a list of qualified persons recommended by the respective local governments;
• one member each appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Representatives and the Texas attorney general;
• one member employed by a hospital district and appointed by the governor;
• one member employed by a hospital district and appointed by the attorney general;
• one member experienced in opioid-related harms who is employed by a law enforcement agency and appointed by the governor; and
• one non-voting member who serves as the presiding officer of the Council and is the comptroller, or the comptroller's designee.

The current council members are:

• The Honorable Don Huffines, presiding officer
  Texas Comptroller
  Austin, Texas
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Council Meetings

Visit our Council Meeting page for more information.

Staff

Katy Fallon-Brown began serving as the director of the Opioid Abatement Fund Council at the Texas Comptroller’s office in October of 2024. She previously spent more than 20 years working for the Texas Legislature in various roles at the Legislative Budget Board, State Auditor’s Office and House of Representatives and was assigned to many areas of state government, most recently public safety and criminal justice. Fallon-Brown earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

Timeline

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Upcoming Milestones

(Dates are tentative and subject to change.)

• The OAFC will hold a quarterly roundtable.
• More information on the 2026 Opioid Abatement in the Criminal Justice System Grant will become available.

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Past Achievements

2026

• August 12, 2026: The Hospital District Dashboard was updated to include settlement fund expenditures reported by Texas hospital districts.
• August 10, 2026: The Political Subdivision Dashboard was updated to include settlement fund expenditures reported by Texas counties and municipalities.
• June 16, 2026: OAFC held a full council meeting and voted to award 2025 Long-term Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) grants.
• June 15, 2026: New OAFC Program Dashboard published consolidating key program data and information into one place including OAFC activities and funding allocations.
• April 30, 2026: New 2025 Short-term CORE Dashboard was published which includes awards and reimbursement amounts to date.
• April 29, 2026: OAFC program staff held a quarterly roundtable.
• April 1, 2026: OAFC began sending another distribution of $11.8 million in settlement funds to Texas hospital districts.
• March 12, 2026: The Council adopted amendments to rules 16.200 through 16.223 and the repeal of 16.207, 16.213, and 16.216. These amended rules became effective on April 8, 2026.
• March 12, 2026: OAFC held a full Council meeting and voted to amend its 2026 Grant Issuance Plan to provide additional details on the targeted grant strategy.
• March 11, 2026: The Trust Company began sending another authorized disbursement of more than $11.6 million in settlement funds to Texas counties and municipalities.
• March 3, 2026: Applications closed for the 2025 Long-term CORE grants.
• February 4, 2026: OAFC program staff held a quarterly roundtable.
• January 20, 2026: Reporting for calendar year 2025 was due for hospital districts and political subdivisions receiving settlement funds.
• January 5, 2026: OAFC sent reporting information to hospital districts and political subdivisions (Texas counties and municipalities) that have received settlement funds.

2025

• December 15, 2025: OAFC opened applications for the 2025 Long-term Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) grants.
• December 9, 2025: OAFC voted to approve its 2026 Grant Issuance Plan that could award up to $100 million in Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) grants and a targeted grant strategy.
• December 9, 2025: OAFC held a full Council meeting and voted to award the 2025 Recovery Housing grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
• October 30, 2025: New Hospital District Distribution Dashboard was published which includes funds each hospital district has received or been allocated.
• October 16, 2025: Applications closed for the 2025 Recovery Housing grant opportunity.
• October 8, 2025: OAFC program staff held a quarterly roundtable.
• September 8, 2025: OAFC held a full council meeting and voted to award 2025 Short-term Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) grants.
• September 8, 2025: The Council adopted the final rule amending rules 16.200 (definitions), 16.208 (grant application review), and 16.211 (allowable costs). These amended rules became effective on October 1, 2025.
• August 21, 2025: OAFC opened applications for the Recovery Housing grant opportunity.
• July 9, 2025: New Political Subdivision Disbursement Dashboard was published which includes the funds each county and municipality has received or been allocated.
• June 26, 2025: OAFC program staff posted a new financial summary explaining the breakdown of the opioid settlement funds coming into the state.
• June 4, 2025: OAFC program staff held a quarterly roundtable.
• May 29, 2025: Applications closed for the Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) short-term grants.
• May 5, 2025: Another authorized distribution of $14.0 million began being sent to hospital districts.
• April 30, 2025: OAFC held a full council meeting and voted to award the Peer-to-Peer Workforce Enhancement grant to RecoveryPeople.
• April 14 2025: OAFC held full council meeting and voted to amend its 2025 Grant Issuance Plan, moving the CORE long-term grants to Fall 2025 and designating recovery housing services as the Council-Selected Targeted Grant Strategy in Summer 2025.
• April 10, 2025: OAFC opened applications for the Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) short-term grants.
• April 1, 2025: The Trust Company began sending the authorized $44.8 million to Texas counties and municipalities.
• March 5, 2025: OAFC program staff held a quarterly roundtable.
• February 11, 2025: Deadline for application submission for the Peer-to-Peer Workforce Enhancement Grant.
• January 8, 2025: OAFC held full council meeting and selected Texas A&M University Health Science Center as the awardee for the K-12 Opioid Prevention Education grant.
• January 8, 2025: OAFC voted to approve its 2025 Grant Issuance Plan that could award up to $100 million in Community-Based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) Grants.

2024

• December 11, 2024: OAFC opened applications for the Peer-to-Peer Workforce Enhancement grant cycle.
• November 21, 2024: OAFC program staff held a roundtable for local government entities.
• November 19, 2024: OAFC program staff held a roundtable for community organizations and stakeholders.
• November 1, 2024: Deadline for application submission for the K-12 Opioid Prevention Education grant.
• October 29, 2024: OAFC fully executed a grant contract with University Health for the Naloxone Distribution Opportunity grant.
• October 8, 2024: Deadline for RFI submissions for the Peer-to-Peer Workforce Enhancement program grant.
• September 23, 2024: OAFC issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the Peer-to-Peer Workforce Enhancement program grant.
• September 18, 2024: OAFC opened application for K-12 Opioid Prevention Education grant.
• September 5, 2024: $65.1 million was authorized for distribution to 154 Hospital Districts.
• August 14, 2024: OAFC updated the Opioid Abatement Trust Fund - Subdivision Disbursement Dashboard with 2024 local government fund disbursements.
• August 9, 2024: OAFC selected University Health as the grant awardee to distribute opioid overdose reversal medication statewide.
• August 7, 2024: OAFC held full council meeting and voted to approve Naloxone Distribution Opportunity grant awardee.
• July 16, 2024: Deadline for RFI submissions for the K-12 Opioid Prevention Education grant.
• June 25, 2024: OAFC held a Pre-Response Conference in-person and virtually for the K-12 Opioid Prevention Education grant.
• May 31, 2024: Deadline for application submission for the Naloxone Distribution Opportunity grant.
• May 28, 2024: OAFC issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the K-12 substance abuse prevention and awareness education grant.
• April 10, 2024: OAFC opened application for Naloxone Distribution Opportunity Grant.
• April 1, 2024: The Trust Company distributed $9.2 million to Texas cities and counties.
• March 20, 2024: OAFC held full council meeting and voted to approve first round of distributions to hospital districts.
• March 18, 2024: Final rule implementing hospital district funding distribution took effect.
• March 15, 2024: Final rule implementing hospital district funding distribution was published in the Texas Register.
• February 27, 2024: OAFC posted Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Applications for Naloxone Distribution and Naloxone Administration Training opportunity grants to distribute and administer naloxone in communities hardest hit by the Opioid crisis.
• February 23, 2024: First payment of funds under Walmart settlement made to the Trust Company.
• February 7, 2024: OAFC held full council meeting.

2023

• December 29, 2023: Proposed rule implementing hospital district funding distribution published in the Texas Register.
• December 4, 2023: CPA approved a one-year, no-cost contract extension with UTHealth Houston to refine research in literature review and services census reports.
• November 25, 2023: OAFC held full council meeting to:
  • Approve publication of proposed rules implementing hospital district funding distribution.
  • Receive presentation from UTHealth Houston on results of literature review report.
  • Approve abatement strategies and grant plans:
    • $25 million to distribute naloxone to communities hardest hit by the opioid crisis;
    • $25 million to promote substance abuse prevention and awareness for students in grades kindergarten through 12th (K-12), as well as their parents and caregivers; and
    • $25 million to bolster training, recruitment and retention, and certification assistance for behavioral health workforce.
• October 30, 2023: OAFC closed public survey.
• October 25, 2023: OAFC held a full council meeting where Teaching Hospitals of Texas and Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals presented on the impact of the opioid crisis on Texas hospital districts and proposed a formula for fund distribution as mandated by Senate Bill 1827.
• September 25, 2023: OAFC launched a public survey to gain better insight on Texans’ views on the opioid epidemic and strategies to counter its harmful effects.
• OAFC held full council meeting to create additional working groups:
  • Notice of Funding Availability Working Group
  • Short Term Strategies and Research Working Group
• July 10, 2023: Final rules governing grant program took effect.
• July 7, 2023: Final rules governing grant program published in the Texas Register.
• June 26, 2023: First payment of funds under Mallinckrodt settlement made to the Trust Company.
• June 9, 2023: Unappropriated funds from McKinsey settlement, including funds from April 2021, 2022 and 2023 transferred from General Revenue Fund to Opioid Abatement Trust Fund as directed by Senate Bill 30, the supplemental appropriations bill for the 88th Regular Session.
• June 8, 2023: OAFC held full council meeting and:
  • Received summary of public comments received on proposed rules governing grant program.
  • Approved final rules governing the grant program.
• May 9, 2023: CPA executed interagency contract for RFP No. 227a with University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) to conduct scientific literature review.
• April 7, 2023: Proposed rules governing grant program published in the Texas Register.
• March 7, 2023: The Trust Company made the first distribution of $47.1 million to Texas cities and counties.
• February 15, 2023: OAFC held full council meeting to:
  • Receive update from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation on its work to use the $5 million distribution to address the impact of opioids, fentanyl and illicit substances in Texas.
  • Approve publication of proposed rules governing the grant program.
  • Establish working groups:
    • Code of Ethics Working Group
    • Cycles and Strategies Working Group
    • Hospital District Formula Working Group
    • Peer Review Working Group
• January 26, 2023: CPA released Fiscal Notes articles highlighting:
  • Texas Impact of the Opioid Crisis
  • Work of the Opioid Abatement Fund Council
• January 3, 2023: First payment of funds under Global settlement made to the Trust Company.

2022

• December 27, 2022: Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) issued request for proposals (RFP No. 227a) to solicit proposals for two studies aimed at aiding the CPA and OAFC in developing funding priorities, understanding the landscape of substance use services in Texas and reducing duplication of existing funding efforts:
  • A scientific literature review of opioid abatement strategies.
  • A survey to identify and describe existing treatment, behavioral therapies and recovery support services in Texas.
• November 15, 2022: OAFC distributed $5 million to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation to provide civil legal aid to Texans personally impacted by the opioid crisis, including children whose caregivers suffer from opioid use disorder.
• October 13, 2022: First payment of funds under Johnson & Johnson/Jansen settlement payment made to the Trust Company.
• October 6, 2022: OAFC held full council meeting to receive presentations on the statewide impact of the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis from several state agencies:
  • Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • Health and Human Services Commission
  • Department of State Health Services
  • Texas Education Agency
  • Department of Family and Protective Services
  • Texas Juvenile Justice Department
  • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  • Texas Workforce Commission
• August 9, 2022: OAFC held its first full council meeting.

Contact Us

If you have questions or comments regarding the work of the OAFC contact us.

Press Inquiries

Related Agencies

• For information regarding ongoing opioid litigation, contact the Office of the Attorney General 
• To ask questions regarding political subdivision distribution, contact the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company

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