Missouri City could receive a maximum of $209,633 from an opioid settlement after City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Settlement Allocation Term Sheet at its Oct. 4 meeting.
The Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Settlement Allocation Term Sheet, also known as the Texas Term Sheet, was spearheaded by the Texas attorney general’s office and describes how opioid settlement funds will be dispersed in Texas. Pharmaceutical companies involved in the settlement include Johnson & Johnson (Janseen), Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, according to City Council documents.
City Attorney E. Joyce Iyamu said by adopting the term sheet, the city waives its ability to receive any additional funds if a lawsuit is brought against specific pharmaceutical companies.
For the city to receive the maximum amount allocated to it, all cities and counties that are eligible to participate in the Texas Term Sheet must, Iyamu said. So far, several area cities, including Alvin, Friendswood, League City and Rosenberg, have signed on, according to City Council documents.
Funds were allocated to each city and county depending on that municipality’s population, the number of opioid deaths in the area, the number of people who are identified as having an opioid use disorder and the amount of opioids distributed in the area, according to an email to Missouri City from the Texas attorney general’s office.
If the city receives funding from the settlement, it will be used for training for law enforcement and first responders, emergency treatment of opioid overdoses and public education related to opioid misuse.
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated 10.1 million people age 12 or older misused opioids in the preceding year.
