Alabama is on the brink of distributing more than $43 million from its opioid settlement funds to various agencies and departments.
House lawmakers passed HB 487 on Thursday. The bill allocates funds to substance abuse prevention and recovery efforts, mental health initiatives, and law enforcement. Alabama has received $305 million in settlement funds since 2023, with $81 million already distributed.
“We’ve seen over a 32-percent decrease in overdoses in Alabama. Over a 40-percent decrease in prescriptions written and over 250,000 naloxone kits out there which is obviously contributing to less overdoses and we’ve had cases where we have saved lives,” said Rep. Rex Reynolds of Madison County.
Under the bill, the Alabama Department of Mental Health will receive $26.3 million. The majority of that money will be used for drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery grants.
HB 487 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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By Alexis Scott