Opioid Settlement Funds Frequently Asked Questions

The Opioid Settlements are agreements with companies that made, marketed, or sold opioids. These companies agreed to pay money to states, counties, cities, and tribal communities to help address harms caused by the opioid crisis. 

As of November 2025, New York has received over $2.5B. This amount may change as additional settlements are reached. You can view the Opioid Settlement Fund Projected Receipts by Source and Use document, which shows expected payments over time and how they’re distributed.

The settlement money is distributed in two main ways:

• Direct payments to local governments: Some funds go straight to counties and cities through an independent administrator.
   
• State-managed opioid settlement fund through OASAS:Regional Abatement amounts go to counties, five large cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse and Albany) and certain other local entities. New York City is not included because it receives and manages its own separate portion of the settlement funds.

State Abatement Funds are used by New York State to support programs and priorities approved by law and guided by Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board (OSFAB) recommendations.

(Abatement means reducing harm. These funds support programs designed to reduce the impacts of the opioid crisis.)

The Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board (OSFAB) first makes recommendations on how the money should be used. The Governor and Legislature then decide how much funding OASAS can use as part of the state budget. Once the budget is approved, OASAS gets the final state approvals, awards contracts, and releases funds to providers.

OSFAB recommended that OASAS prioritize multi-year contracts focused on long-term results. During the funding period, OASAS meets with providers to discuss plans to continue services after settlement funding ends.

The Advisory Board is a group of people appointed by state leaders. Members include individuals with experience in public health, addiction, and/or community work. The board makes recommendations on how opioid settlement money could be used across the state. The Board was created by state law in 2021. 

Each year, the Board submits a report to the Governor and members of the Legislature. These reports are available on the OASAS website. 

Opioid settlement money does not go to individuals. It is used by state and local governments and approved organizations to prevent overdoses and support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery. This includes health providers, community groups, recovery programs and, in some cases, counties. The funds are meant to prevent future harm and help communities heal, not to compensate for past losses.

Organizations can apply when OASAS posts new funding opportunities on the OASAS website under Opioid Settlement Funding Initiatives.

Each funding opportunity explains who can apply, what is required, and any additional eligibility rules. Organizations that receive awards may be asked to meet additional requirements.  

Providers must:

• Be prequalified in the New York State Statewide Financial System (SFS)
• Meet eligibility rules as explained in the specific funding opportunity
• Submit all required forms and documentation
• Score high enough in the review process to be selected, if applicable
• Be in good standing with the New York State Charities Bureau and pass all required vendor responsibility determinations, if applicable.

The OSFAB recommended that OASAS prioritize multi-year contracts focused on long-term results. Spreading funds over time allows providers to hire staff, train workers, and create services in sustainable way.

As of November 2025, more than 275 entities have received OSF dollars. You can see a list of funded programs and organizations on the Opioid Settlement Fund Tracker.

No. The money can only be used for approved purposes that help address the opioid crisis. Each contract clearly defines how the money must be used.

Every funded project includes a plan to track and evaluate results. Among the advisory board’s recommendations is to support research and evaluation, to be performed in part by an outside entity. 

Information about each county’s Regional Abatement funding is available on the OASAS website under Opioid Settlement Fund Regional Abatements.

A full breakdown of local government payments is on the OASAS website, under New York State Opioid Settlements.

The amount each county receives is based on its population, overdose death rates, mental health and other public health indicators.

Information and web addresses for every county’s Local Governmental Unit (LGU) is available on the OASAS website under Opioid Settlement Fund Regional Abatements.

OASAS regularly shares updates on its website, including:

• Details about the settlements
• Information on funding distribution
• Upcoming funding opportunities
• Advisory Board meeting recordings or livestreams
• Quarterly community meetings

You can:

• Watch the “Opioid Settlement Funds @Work” video series
• Visit the OSF Tracker for real-time funding updates and to review funded programs
• Read OASAS press releases for news on new funding