Henry County accepts $75,501 in state opioid-abatement funds, agrees to reporting and use restrictions

Henry County commissioners voted Jan. 20 to accept a $75,501.41 disbursement from the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Fund and to authorize the County Mayor to execute the Opioid Abatement Council's letter of agreement that governs permissible uses and reporting obligations. The motion to accept the funds was made by Commissioner Missy Hamilton and seconded by Commissioner Gatlin Primrose.

Under the council agreement, the county must use the funds only for opioid-abatement or remediation activities expressly approved by the council or appearing on the council’s approved list of programs. The letter of agreement requires annual reporting on the programs funded and the number of people served, sets a four-year window to obligate and spend the funds, and provides that any unspent funds (plus interest) will revert to the state fund if not used in accordance with the agreement.

The disbursement comes from the statewide settlement proceeds that the state receives under the settlement agreements and distributes in part to counties. The letter included with the meeting record details the reporting fields the council will require and the statute authorizing the council’s disbursements (TENN. CODE ANN. §33-11-103). The county will deposit the funds in an interest-bearing account and is expected to report program activity to the council annually.

Next steps: the County Mayor will execute the council’s Letter of Agreement and deposit the funds to a designated account. County staff were instructed to ensure the funds are spent only on council-approved opioid abatement or remediation activities and to prepare the required reports.