4.10 SR 12-20-2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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12. If my city or county signs onto the MN MOA, does that mean it automatically signs onto the Settlements with the Distributors or J&J? No. A city or county that signs the MN MOA is agreeing to a framework for how settlement funds will flow in the event the Settlements become effective. However, the city or county must separately sign on to the Settlements in order to receive payments pursuant to the MN MOA. 13. If my city or county joins the Settlements, will we receive direct payments? It depends. All counties that join are set to receive direct allocation under the terms of the MN MOA, as well as all cities that join and meet the following eligibility criteria: Have a population of 30,000 or more, based on the U.S. Census BureauÓs Vintage 2019 population totals; Have funded or otherwise managed an established health care or treatment infrastructure (e.g., health department or similar agency); or Have initiated litigation against the Distributors or J&J as of December 3, 2021. The population threshold for non-litigating cities to receive a direct allocation of funds recognizes that the efficient delivery of opioid abatement services is hindered if the funds are divided into hundreds of small allocations. Even with potentially upwards of $300 million coming into Minnesota, allocating funds among several hundred smaller cities and towns would result in minimal payments for most subdivisions, in many cases less than a few dollars a year. For that same reason, under the MN MOA cities allocated a share may elect to have their full share or a portion of their share instead directed to the county in which the city is located. Although not all cities will receive a direct allocation of opioid abatement funds, those cities will still benefit from the opioid remediation efforts that take place in their communities. Moreover, under the MN MOA, each county receiving opioid settlement funds must consult annually with the cities in the county regarding use of the settlement funds. Finally, cities that are not eligible for a direct share may also request grants for opioid remediation programs from the stateÓs opioid remediation fund, which are distributed via the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council and the Department of Human Services. 14. If my city or county joins, how much money will we receive? Under the terms of the MN MOA, local governments (including cities and counties) that join the Settlements will directly receive 75% of the total abatement funds, divided among the counties and eligible cities in the percentages reflected in Exhibit B to the MN MOA. The percentages reflected in Exhibit B are based upon the MDLÓs Opioid Negotiation Class Model. Experts and attorneys representing local governments in the MDL developed the 4