wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 6099 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that American Indians and Alaska Natives are affected disproportionately by the opioid crisis and that opioid overdose rates are higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives than in any other category by race and ethnicity. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to prioritize moneys received from opioid settlements to address specific impacts in tribal communities through the creation of a dedicated tribal opioid prevention and treatment account.
The opioid abatement settlement account is created in the state treasury. All settlement receipts and moneys that are designated to be used by the state of Washington to abate the opioid epidemic for state use must be deposited into the account. Money in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used for future opioid remediation as provided in the applicable settlement. For purposes of this account, "opioid remediation" means the care, treatment, and other programs and expenditures, designed to: (a) Address the use and abuse of opioid products; (b) treat or mitigate opioid use or related disorders; or (c) mitigate other alleged effects of, including those injured as a result of, the opioid epidemic.
All money remaining in the state opioid settlement account established under RCW 43.88.195 must be transferred to the opioid abatement settlement account created in this section.
Beginning July 1, 2025, and each fiscal year thereafter, the state treasurer shall transfer into the tribal opioid prevention and treatment account created in section 3 of this act from the opioid abatement settlement account an amount equal to the greater of $7,750,000 or 20 percent of the settlement receipts and moneys deposited into the opioid abatement settlement account over the prior fiscal year. No transfer shall be required if the average amount of revenue received by the account per fiscal year over the prior two fiscal years is less than $7,750,000.
The tribal opioid prevention and treatment account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from the transfer directed in RCW 43.79.483(3) must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used for addressing the impact of the opioid epidemic in tribal communities, including: (1) Prevention and recovery services; (2) treatment programs including medication-assisted treatment; (3) peer services; (4) awareness campaigns and education; and (5) support for first responders.
(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.
(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.
Section 4 of this act expires July 1, 2028.
(2) Section 5 of this act takes effect July 1, 2028.