- An MOU is now live on the Mississippi Attorney General’s website for those programs and projects approved for funding. Those receiving funding will be required to submit quarterly spending and goal achievement reports.
In preparation for the issuance of funds under the Opioid Settlement Act, Mississippi’s office of Attorney General has created a template memorandum of understanding. It can be found on the Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s website.
As part of the nationwide settlement between companies such as Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and others, $54 billion is being distributed to states to aid in prevention of future opioid dependents while providing recovery options.
Of that total, Mississippi is expected to receive roughly $400 million.
During the 2026 legislative session, more than $30 million in funding was approved for several projects across the state under HB 1924. Projects receiving the funding this year were vetted by an Opioid Settlement Advisory Council.
The MOU ensures that funds are used for programs that treat, prevent, provide oversight of, and minimize opioid use disorders. It mandates quarterly spending and progress reports including data reflecting goal attainment be provided to the Advisory Council and Attorney General’s office on a quarterly basis in the months of April, July, October and January.
Funds are be made available in the form of reimbursements within 30 days after the submission of the quarterly reports, unless the project is for $50,000 or less. Projects for $50,000 or less will receive lump sum payments.
Violation of the MOU can result in audits by the Attorney General or a third-party office, with recovery of any grant funds awarded.
While the MOU is set to expire on June 30, 2027, organizations and programs receiving the funds can submit a “proposal narrative” for time extensions for funds not spent by the deadline.
Some of the larger approved projects under this year’s bill include:
- $3 million to help the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi conduct forensic interviews
- $3.5 million for the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors to build short term detention facilities for people who may be impaired due to substance use
- $2.1 million to the Mississippi Hospital Association to train emergency responders to identify the signs of someone in crisis due to opioid abuse and where to bring them for appropriate treatment
- $3 million to the Mercy House to renovate and expand a residential recovery campus located in Learned
- $4 million to Pathway Healthcare to place a representative in hospitals and launch the Pathway for Mothers while also utilizing mobile units to provide services in rural areas
Three projects approved in HB 1924 were denied funding due to a partial veto issued by Governor Tate Reeves (R) at the end of the regular legislative session. Those projects totaled about $1.5 million, and included $500,000 to Hope Squad, $800,000 to the Gulf Coast Center for Non-violence, and $250,000 to Finally First.
Attempts to override the partial veto during a subsequent extend session held in April ended with only the House of Representatives taking action on the override, leaving the veto in place.
Governor Reeves said he issued the partial veto given that those projects did not “merit an analysis in the final report of the council as sent to the Legislature.”
“I believe it would be imprudent for me to approve this spending without any knowledge of what or who these entities are or the specific purpose and expertise that would warrant them receiving funds,” Reeves stated.
