To: Board of Supervisors
From: Monica Nino, County Administrator
Report Title: National Opioid Litigation Complaint and Kroger Co. Settlement
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Administrator, or designee, to execute legal documents necessary to opt-in to a settlement agreement among states, counties, and the Kroger Company in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation and receive opioid settlement funds pursuant to the Kroger State Subdivision Agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The dollar amount that the County would receive as a result of opting in to the Kroger Company settlement is yet to be determined. Preliminary estimates are as follows: the State of California will be eligible to receive up to approximately $122 million over an 11-year term. The intra-state allocation will be similar to previous opioid settlements. Of the money coming into California, 15% will go to the State, 70% will go to all counties and cities as opioid abatement funds, and 15% will go to 79 entities that filed a lawsuit against Kroger Company. Attorney's Fees for Opioid Litigation counsel will be calculated when the settlement amount has been determined and allocations finalized. Attorney fees will be divided among the 37 California participating political subdivisions and municipalities.
BACKGROUND:
Over the past three years, states and counties have reached settlements with drug manufacturers, drug distributors, and pharmacy chains in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, a series of lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. On March 22, 2024, a global settlement was reached in a lawsuit against Kroger Company, a defendant in one of the lawsuits. Contra Costa County was a party to various lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, but it is not a party to the lawsuit against Kroger. However, the terms of the Kroger Settlement permit the County to opt in and receive a portion of the settleme...
Click here for full text