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 Glenn Hegar, presiding officer
Texas Comptroller
Austin, Texas
List continues
Katherine L. Yoder, M.B.A.
Austin, Texas
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott.
John G. Mills, D.O.
Port Bolivar, Texas
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott.
Ronald P. Enriquez, Jr.
Leander, Texas
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott.
Sanjay P. Patel, M.D.
Odessa, Texas
Appointed by Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Carrie de Moor, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Frisco, Texas
Appointed by Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Pedro J. Fernandez, M.D.
Dallas, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 9 & 10
J. Douglas Thornton, Pharm.D., Ph.D., B.C.P.S.
Houston, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 3
List continues
John "Scott" Milton, M.D.
Lubbock, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 11-15, 19
James Muns, M.D.
Heath, Texas
Appointed by Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dade Phelan.
Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., A.C.S.W.
Austin, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 6-8, 16
Emmanuel Elueze, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.A., F.A.C.P.
Tyler, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 1, 2, 17, 18
Robert Guevara, M.D.
Harlingen, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Region 4, 5, 20
Denise Wilkes, M.D., Ph.D.
Kemah, Texas
Appointed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
