Iowa may leave millions in opioid funds unspent — again
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With potentially only hours remaining in this year's legislative session, drug recovery advocates are concerned that Iowa lawmakers will once again fail to reach an agreement on how to allocate opioid settlements.
Why it matters: The indecision could leave tens of millions of dollars unallocated and unspent for a third consecutive year and at a time when Iowa's opioid and drug-related crisis continues to worsen.
- Bridges of Iowa, a substance abuse treatment provider based in Des Moines, says its proposed sober living facility could help reverse the trend if the Legislature takes action.
Catch up quick: Iowa is expected to receive up to $345 million from five major settlement deals with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers accused of fueling the opioid epidemic through misleading marketing and negligent oversight.
- The deals are part of a series of multibillion-dollar national agreements aimed at supporting opioid addiction treatment, prevention and recovery.
State of play: While local governments receive a portion directly, Iowa lawmakers have struggled to allocate the state-controlled share, leading to frustration among recovery providers and public health advocates.
- The Senate version (SF 624) relies on state agencies and the Attorney General's Office to oversee spending.
- The House version (HSB 331) would establish a new oversight board and emphasize local control through competitive grants.
Zoom in: The most significant gap in Iowa's recovery system is sober housing for people reentering the community after treatment, Bridges chairperson Jeff Lamberti tells Axios.
- The group seeks up to $5 million of the settlement money to help build a 32– to 36-bed facility on an 8-acre site near Southeast 14th Street and East Kenyon Avenue in DSM.
- It would provide a level of oversight and structure that's currently rare in Iowa, per Lamberti.
The big picture: According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, all states except Iowa, Mississippi and Louisiana have awarded settlement funding.
What they're saying: Rep. Gary Mohr (R-Bettendorf) told reporters about two weeks ago that there is still disagreement among House Republicans and their Senate counterparts.
- The prospects of finding a compromise this session don't look great because both bills are so far apart, but "I'm not going to count it out" because leaders in both chambers have expressed a desire to resolve the matter, Lamberti, a former state senator, said.
What we're watching: A Republican budget stalemate over carbon pipelines — a separate issue that's delaying the close of this year's legislative session —might give advocates for substance abuse treatment additional time to negotiate plans for opioid settlement spending.
- Lawmakers were tentatively scheduled to adjourn May 2, when their per-diem payments ended.