A new portal for awarding opioid settlement funds to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery agencies is up and running, Nassau County administrative officials confirmed during the May 19 meeting of the Nassau County Legislature.
This new development emerged under questioning from Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks (D-Uniondale) prior to a vote to accept $347,857.86 in new opioid settlement funds related to a settlement with Costco Wholesale Corporation.
Upon receipt, the funds will be placed into a dedicated fund for agencies that provide addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery resources across Nassau County. To date, the fund has accrued nearly $100 million in settlement funds, but to date, only $5.3 million has been released to agencies. The members of the Legislature’s Democratic Minority delegation have repeatedly criticized County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s administration for the anemic pace at which the funds have been distributed.
Following the administration’s protracted delays, the Legislature in February authorized a maximum allocation of $1 million for bringing in an outside firm to create and operate a portal to accelerate the pace at which the opioid funds are reaching providers. Administration officials said the Legislature will receive a report on the state of the opioid fund next month.
“These funds are no good if they’re just sitting in the bank,” Nicks said. “Getting this portal up and running is an important first step toward getting opioid settlement funds into the hands of providers who are on the front lines of responding to this crisis, and I will continue to closely monitor this situation to ensure these life-saving resources are reaching people in need.”