The Opioid Abatement Authority was created by the General Assembly in 2021 and formally began operations on November 4, 2022. The following are highlights of the OAA’s efforts in 2024:

• To date the Authority awarded a total of $47,156,502 to Virginia’s cities and counties for efforts to fight the opioid and substance use crisis, making Virginia a leading state in the distribution of opioid settlement funds. Of the 110 applications that have been received by the OAA from cities and/or counties, 91% have resulted in an award, resulting in 91 active projects underway across the commonwealth (details of these projects can be found starting on p. 9 of this report).

• In the past two years the Authority has awarded $19,494,634 to state agencies, including executive branch agencies, judicial offices, independent state entities, and state universities. In each case, these awards support new or expanded efforts across the commonwealth to abate and remediate the opioid crisis (details of these projects can be found beginning on p. 23 of this report).

• During 2024 the OAA continued to conduct the “Abatement Academy," offering nine free online webinars highlighting best practices in opioid abatement and remediation efforts.

• Consistent with its goal to support local governments and community-based organizations with technical assistance and access to grant-related opportunities, the OAA partnered with numerous organizations including the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League to conduct informational meetings around the state for local government leaders.

• The Authority conducted three in-person “Best Practices for Local Government" regional workshops, with approximately 70 attendees in each event.

• In late 2024, the Authority developed and launched the “Operation STOP!" (Specifically Targeted Overdose Prevention) grant. This special $3 million grant program is designed to provide additional financial assistance to the seven Virginia localities in which Black residents experienced fatal opioid overdose rate increases more than 100% during the five-year period ranging 2019-2023. These grants will be made available for outreach, education, prevention and treatment efforts focused on this highest-risk population of Virginians (see p. 35 for more details).

• In partnership with the Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Virginia Commonwealth University, the OAA launched the web-based “Opioid Abatement Toolkit." This toolkit, which is a living resource, provides technical assistance and examples of effective opioid abatement programs to assist Virginia’s cities and counties in developing their own community-specific strategies for the use of opioid settlement funds. We believe this to be the only state-specific toolkit of its kind in the nation. For more information click on https://virginiaopioidtoolkit.org/.

• During 2024 the OAA procured, customized, and launched a web-based grants and financial management platform to provide outstanding customer service and support to applicants, while also ensuring proper storage of financial and programmatic data. In 2025, data contained in this platform will become available to the general public via a web-based dashboard available on the OAA website, thereby achieving the Authority’s goal of providing the highest levels of transparency in the use of opioid settlement funds.