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KITTITAS COUNTY
<br />Board of County Commissioners
<br />
<br />STAFF REPORT FOR AGENDA SESSION
<br />
<br />DATE: April 16, 2024
<br />
<br />ACTION REQUESTED: Request to Adopt a Resolution Accepting the Johnson &
<br />Johnson (Janssen) Washington State State-Wide Opioid
<br />Settlement Agreement.
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND: Since July 2018, Kittitas County has been a participant in
<br />the national opiate litigation against opioid pharmaceutical
<br />supply chain participants for their misuse, abuse, and over-
<br />prescription of opioids. As a result of zealous efforts to
<br />hold these defendants accountable for misrepresenting the
<br />risks and benefits associated with opioids, and for
<br />distributing and promoting dangerous quantities of opioids,
<br />settlement has been reached with Johnson & Johnson, and
<br />its subdivisions and affiliates.
<br /> Kittitas County may opt into the settlements reached with
<br />Johnson & Johnson. If all 37 local litigating governments
<br />participate in the settlement, Kittitas County’s allocation of
<br />the settlement amount is estimated to be $1,378,325.34 less
<br />5 percent required for payment of attorney fees and costs,
<br />approximately $69,700.00.
<br /> On April 5, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners
<br />entered into the One Washington Memorandum of
<br />Understanding Between Washington Municipalities. Under
<br />the MOU and under Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin,
<br />Garfield, Walla Walla, Whitman, Yakima Counties, and the
<br />cities of Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Pasco,
<br />Ellensburg, Walla Walla, Pullman, Grandview, Sunnyside
<br />and Yakima, Greater Columbia Behavioral Health, LLC
<br />(GCBH), has been designated as the Opioid Abatement
<br />Council of the Greater Columbia region for purposes of
<br />receiving, managing, distributing, and administering Opioid
<br />Funds allocated to Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin,
<br />Garfield, Walla Walla, Whitman, Yakima Counties, and the
<br />cities of Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Pasco,
<br />Ellensburg, Walla Walla, Pullman, Grandview, Sunnyside
<br />and Yakima. Moneys distributed to GCBH would be
<br />available for “Opioid Remediation” including care,
<br />treatment, and other programs and expenditures designed to
<br />(1) address the misuse and abuse of opioid products, (2)
<br />treat or mitigate opioid use or related disorders, or (3)
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