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.
Regions 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.
Regions 11-15, 19
Vacant Seat
To be appointed by Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows.
Vacant Seat
To be appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Regions 6, 7, 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.
Regions 1, 2, 17, 18
Robert Guevara, M.D.
Harlingen, Texas
Appointed by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.
Regions 4, 5, 20
Denise Wilkes, M.D., Ph.D.
Kemah, Texas
Appointed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
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
Upcoming Milestones
(Dates are tentative and subject to change.)
Summer 2025:
More information on the Council-Selected Targeted Strategy to expand recovery housing services will become available.
Past Achievements
2025
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 16, 2025: Final rule was published in the Texas register adding amendments concerning definitions (§16.200), grant application review (§16.208), and allowable costs (§16.211).
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.
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