HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3743        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act requiring municipal spending reports on the use of opioid settlement funds.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3743        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act requiring municipal spending reports on the use of opioid settlement funds.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any municipality receiving abatement funds in accordance with the Massachusetts state-subdivision agreement for statewide opioid settlement funds, shall submit an annual report by July 1 each year, to the department of public health detailing how they plan to spend said funds in the upcoming fiscal year.

The report shall include but not be limited to the total amount of abatement funds that the municipality plans to spend and what proposed programs and initiatives the funds will be spent on to mitigate the impacts of the opioid epidemic in their communities, provided that the first report submitted may be preliminary. Municipalities spending less than 50 percent of the annual allocation shall include in the report plans to utilize the remainder of the funds and identify any barriers that are preventing the funds from being used.

The executive office of health and human services shall review said reports and provide written feedback to each municipality including, but not limited to, best practices to implement their programs and proposals; what state resources are available to support with the implementation of these proposals; and what available state or federal funding may be available to augment these proposals.